MADISON — State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly today sharply criticized the U.S. Department of Education for its abrupt decision to terminate two vital federal grants supporting Wisconsin’s most vulnerable students — children and youth with combined vision and hearing loss, and those receiving special education services.
Late Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction received notice that the federal government was ending funding for the Wisconsin Deafblind Technical Assistance Project and the State Personnel Development Grant at the end of the current grant budget period. The USDE stated the two programs “reflect the prior administration’s priorities and policy preferences and conflict with those of the current administration.”
“Make no mistake, losing these funds will directly impact our ability to serve some of our most vulnerable kids,” Dr. Underly said. “Wisconsin had planned work with these funds that includes direct support for deafblind learners and their families and efforts to recruit and retain new special education teachers. We are asking for a reconsideration to protect these valuable projects.”
The WDBTAP serves 170 students from birth through age 21 who live with both vision and hearing loss – 85 percent of whom have four or more disabilities. The project provides assistive technology tools, coaching, family support, and professional training across Wisconsin. The program was in the middle of a five-year grant cycle totaling more than $550,000, with funding expected to last through September 2028.
“These are kids who depend on specialized support just to access their guaranteed right to a free and appropriate public education,” Dr. Underly said. “Losing these dollars at this point in the year will be devastating for the kids who need these supports the most.”
The SPDG, meanwhile, addresses Wisconsin’s critical special education teacher shortage, investing in educator recruitment, retention, and development. The $10.5 million, five-year grant funds programs like the Special Educator Induction Program, which in its first year supported 280 new special educators across the state, helping them stay in the profession and serve more students effectively. According to DPI data, only 46 percent of new special education teachers in Wisconsin remain in the field after seven years.
“At a time when schools in every corner of the state are struggling to find and keep special educators, cutting this support is unconscionable and harmful to every student with an IEP,” Dr. Underly said. “Wisconsin’s children deserve better, and so do the professionals who dedicate their careers to serving them.”
Through the SPDG, the DPI also partnered with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to establish an innovative teacher residency program aimed at addressing this retention crisis. The DPI plans to appeal the decision to end both grant programs.
