CASE Updates from Melissa Schaller
The CASE Collective: "Leading in Light of Current Circumstances"
FREE WEBINAR
Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 4:30-5 p.m. (CDT)
On June 15, the U.S. Department of Education announced the move of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSERS) to the Department of Health and Humans Services and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to the Department of Justice. Join Abe Saffer, CASE Director of Government Relations, next week as he shares insights regarding the moves and the potential impact to the field of special education.
Register Here
The CASE office is collecting membership testimonials. Please fill out the form and forward it to three of your CASE friends, asking them to do the same.
With MASE membership renewals in progress now, we strongly encourage you to keep or add a CEC/CASE Professional Basic Membership as part of your renewal! If the CEC/CASE membership is not included in your invoice, please contact Laurie Pumper at the MASE office to get your record updated; it’s a quick process. Less than half of our Active Members currently have opted in (or out) for CEC/CASE membership—let’s get our numbers up!
Myrna Mandlawitz is moving away from her role with CASE. We will miss her dearly. If you would like to write a message to her, please do so here. CASE will share these with her in a manner yet to be determined, as they are still in the process of planning how to honor her contributions to the field. Myrna hosted her last “60 Minutes with Myrna” last week. A new iteration of this informative session with Abe Saffer (the new Director of Government Relations) began on June 15.
Abe Saffer’s career spans more than 20 years and includes work in Congress, the Maryland General Assembly, for-profit and non-profit advocacy, and political campaign management. Most recently, he led federal and state policy advocacy for the American Occupational Therapy Association. Learn more about Abe.
Registration for the Special Education Leadership Summit (SELS) is open. This event takes place July 19–22 in Washington, DC. MASE sends a group (executive director, CASE representative, president, and president-elect) to this event to learn and advocate on federal issues and their impact in Minnesota. We would love to have others join us! If you would like information regarding our travel plans, reach out to me at melissa.schaller@isd917.org and I will send you details. This event fills up quickly, so it is important to register early.
Registration for the CASE Conference is also open. This takes place November 11-13 in Providence, Rhode Island. It would be awesome to have a Minnesota contingent attend. Consider adding this to your calendar. Early bird registration closes on July 15. Check out details on the CASE website.
Also, please go the Action Center on the CASE website. Here’s the latest update for action:
Released on May 2, 2025, the president's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026 (school year 2026-27) includes a "Special Education Simplified Funding Program" for IDEA. While total funding for IDEA would be maintained at the current level, the budget consolidates all parts of IDEA into one block grant: Part B (K12); Part C (Infants and Toddlers); Preschool; and Part D grants for personnel preparation/development, technical assistance, parent information centers, and technology. These components of the law are designed to work as a continuum of supports and services. Reducing the components of the law to one block grant, without the guarantee that each part would be funded, is a serious disservice to children and youth with disabilities, their families, and the educators who serve them.
Moving OSERS Out of the Department of Education
