Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc.

06/17/2026

Connections.

This is what COPAA is made of.

A conversation between Daisy Ortiz, our Cross-Cultural & Linguistic Engagement Coordinator, and a conference attendee.

It may have looked like a simple moment, but that's where the magic happens.

One connection becomes a resource.
One conversation becomes support.
One introduction becomes a lasting relationship.

Because people don't just come to COPAA for the sessions.
They come to find their community.

A place where families, advocates, attorneys, educators, and professionals come together, learn from one another, and realize they're not alone.

That's the power of connection.

That's the heart of COPAA.



ALT - A picture of Daisy Ortiz, our Cross-Cultural & Linguistic Engagement Coordinator, and a 28th Annual COPAA conference attendee.

06/17/2026

House Appropriators Advance Labor, Health, and Education Spending Bill

The House Appropriations Committee has considered and approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) during an all-day “markup” which included hours of debate and proposed amendments. Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) supported the underlying bill, which cuts education funding by $8 billion or 10 percent, and stated that the bill supports the programs with a proven record of results. Ranking Member DeLauro (D-CT) described the bill as a “step down the path of eliminating public education.” A bipartisan manager’s amendment was agreed to and would block a Department of Education decision to exclude nursing from the list of “professional degrees” which are eligible for higher student loan limits and preserve the fundamental purpose of the TRIO program to support low-income and first-generation college students which the Department had proposed to refocus. General education programs experienced deep cuts as Title I was reduced by $1.9 billion and most K-12 [Title] programs including for teacher professional development, migrant and English Learners, gifted and talented students, adult education, and special education longitudinal research were completely eliminated. Charter school programs were increased by $60 million and Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was increased by $49 million. All other IDEA programs were level funded at FY 26 levels. The bill is now ready for consideration on the House floor. The Senate has not taken any action on their FY 27 Labor-H bill. Stride Policy has attached a summary chart.

🔗https://appropriations.house.gov/schedule/markups/full-committee-markup-fiscal-year-2027-labor-health-and-human-services-education-0

�https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.copaa.org/resource/resmgr/docs/2026_docs_/fy_2027_chart_wh_house.pdf

Part One: Part Two: Beginning of Homeland Security Appropriations Consideration:

06/17/2026

COPAA denounces ED's move of special ed to HHS and its move of ED civil rights complaints to DOJ. These moves harm programs and children.





COPAA statement

WASHINGTON, DC – In response to today’s announcement by the Department of Education (Department) to move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to other federal agencies, COPAA CEO Denise Marshall made the following statement:

06/16/2026

There is no logical sense why anyone would move students with disabilities under HHS," Denise Marshall, COPAA's CEO, told NPR.

"We're not going to all of a sudden go to our surgeon to learn how to read."

The moves to the federal departments of Health and Human Services and Justice, respectively, would further dismantle an agency that President Donald Trump has vowed to close.

06/16/2026

Unlawful Plan Harms Every Child with a Disability

These illegal and harmful moves are a slap in the face to the progress made in the last 50 years to move away from a medical deficit model and to combat discrimination on the basis of disability. This effort places 10.25 million children with disabilities* at great risk. COPAA believes the Department's claims that such moves will reduce red tape and better serve families and students are false

Full Statement

WASHINGTON, DC – In response to today’s announcement by the Department of Education (Department) to move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to other federal agencies, COPAA CEO Denise Marshall made the following statement:

06/16/2026

¿Cuándo fue la última vez que descansaste de verdad?

Si eres familia que aboga por su hijo, o un advocate que acompaña a otros, sabes lo que es cargarlo todo, todo el tiempo.

Este verano los días pasan rápido, y muchas veces el descanso nos genera culpa. Pero desconectarte no es abandonar. Descansar no es rendirse, es parte de la defensoría.

Este martes 29 de junio a las 3:30 PM hora del este, te invito a nuestro espacio gratuito por Zoom: Hablemos de Educación Especial con COPAA.

Un espacio para familias y advocates, en español, sin costo.

Regístrate gratis aquí:
https://learn.copaa.org/products/hablemos-de-educacion-especial-espanol

06/16/2026

📅 Save the Date: November 18th!

Join us for Cross of an Expert with Jen Laviano, Esq. This 20–30 minute presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, allowing our COPAA attorney members to ask questions and share strategies.

🔑 Note: Roundtables are exclusive to current COPAA attorney members and are free as part of your membership.

👉 Ensure you're a current member to attend!

Register today - https://learn.copaa.org/products/attorney-roundtable-cross-of-an-expert-free-for-copaa-members-members-only-event



ALT - Light blue background picture of Themis, Goddess of Justice, text - Attorney Roundtable featuring Jen Laviano, Esq., with a presentation on the topic of Cross of an Expert. COPAA logo

06/15/2026

Attention attorneys and law students!

If you're looking to enhance your expertise in special education law, don’t miss this opportunity.

Gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to advocate for students with disabilities and their families.

Register now for COPAA's Attorney Course in Special Education Law!
https://learn.copaa.org/attorneyclass

ALT - A video with Selene Almazan, Esq. discussing the COPAA's Attorney Course in Special Education Law.

06/15/2026

📣 California’s proposed budget is a major win for students with disabilities: $2.4 billion in ongoing special education funding, which Gov. Newsom calls the largest investment in state history.

This level of sustained funding could help districts stabilize services, address rising needs, and finally close long‑standing gaps in how schools support students with disabilities. As enrollment shifts and costs continue to climb, ongoing dollars , not one‑time patches , are what families and educators have been asking for.

🔗 LA Times:

Gov. Newsom announces record education funding and how he'd like to spend it — including rainy-day reserves and a massive boost to help students with disabilities.

06/14/2026

Are you ready to lead policy change for students with disabilities at the state and local level?

Join COPAA’s Change Makers Academy!
Registration opens June 15th.
Course starts Aug 14, 2026.
👉 https://learn.copaa.org/changemakeracademy



ALT - White promotional graphic with the COPAA’s Change Makers Academy logo