California faces federal funding cuts for special ed teachers; DEI targeted

News Brief

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 — 8:02 am

California is about to lose federal funds used to train special education teachers after the U.S. Department of Education announced it will cancel over two dozen grants nationwide. The state will lose roughly $3.5 million in the coming year in special education teacher preparation grants for underserved communities. 

Trump administration officials terminated four California programs under Part D of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, based on “project activities” that reference diversity, equity and inclusion, which “conflict with the Department’s policy of prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education,” according to a list of cancellations obtained by Education Week. 

Funds from the cancellations, effective Oct. 1, will be redirected toward “more preparation grants,” the department said, but did not specify which ones. Existing programs, such as resource centers for families of children with disabilities, will receive paperwork with new conditions to ensure they “reflect this administration’s priorities.” 

Of the total grants slated for cancellation, the federal Department of Education cut $2.3 million in funds appropriated for each year of special education teacher training programs in California. Recipients for these funds include the California Department of Education, whose grant was terminated because of a commitment to “hiring staff at all levels who are reflective, and representative of the communities served,” and San Diego State University, whose grant was canceled because of a goal “to increase the diversity of the enrolled candidates.” 

“The impact (of the cuts) is going to be a less equipped teaching force and a decline in the tangible supports for these students,” said Scott Rudolph, special education advocate at Rudolph Advocacy Works. 

The department also canceled a yearly $1.2 million grant toward rehabilitative services to universities in California. These include a Braille training program at Cal State Los Angeles, canceled for promoting “culturally responsive teaching” and recruiting “participants from diverse backgrounds,” and a vocational rehabilitation training program at San Diego State University, canceled for covering “cultural humility” in orientation modules. 

About 8 in 10 districts in California, with the largest populations of low-income students, English learners and students of color, report not having enough special education teachers.

In response to shortages, California appropriated $350 million in 2021 to one-time competitive grants, available over five years, to develop teacher residency programs for special education teachers, as well as a $100 million increase in funding for services for students with low-incidence disabilities. 

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