At Innovate Public Schools, our work starts with a simple belief: parents are the experts on their children, and they deserve a real seat at the table where decisions about education are made at the school, district, state, and national levels.
That belief is why Innovate joined more than 1,000 parents and educators, 225 state and local groups, and more than 100 national organizations in signing a letter urging Congress to stop the illegal dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.
The Department of Education plays a critical role as a federal backstop. It ensures that students receive the services they are legally entitled to and that civil rights protections are accessible, especially for students with disabilities, English learners, students experiencing homelessness, and other historically underserved groups. When that work is spread out across agencies with no education expertise, families are left navigating confusion instead of clarity, and inequities will widen.
This is not an abstract policy debate for the families we work with. Innovate brings families closer to decision-makers so they can directly advocate for special education services, school funding, language access, and high-quality, safe, supportive learning environments. That work depends on clear rules, consistent oversight, and strong enforcement of federal education laws. When federal systems become unstable, it becomes harder for parents to get answers, harder for states and districts to plan responsibly, and harder for students to receive the high-quality education that they deserve as students in our public schools.
We signed this letter because dismantling the U.S. Department of Education undermines the very conditions that allow parent voice to matter. It creates new barriers for families already navigating complex systems and shifts focus away from students who most rely on federal protections to access opportunity.
Education has always been a shared responsibility rooted in local communities, supported by states, and safeguarded by the federal government. Preserving a strong, lawful Department of Education is essential to ensuring that parents can effectively advocate for their children and that equity gaps are not widened by instability or neglect.
As the letter says, “Our students deserve stability. Our states deserve clarity. And our nation deserves a federal government committed to supporting all states and protecting the civil rights and educational opportunities of all students.”
Read the full letter here.