Kelly Rogers, acting assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, will resign effective Sept. 11 after under four months on the job. Her departure coincides with a controversial plan to transfer more than 100 staff to the Department of Health and Human Services — a change the Education Department's union calls illegal and that has drawn bipartisan concern. Rogers said she remains "confident" the team can continue improving outcomes through the HHS partnership.
Top Special Education Official Kelly Rogers Resigns Amid Controversial Staff Move To HHS
The U.S. Department of Education is seen on August 13, 2026, along the route for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar Series race in Washington, D.C.
Kelly Rogers, the acting assistant secretary who led the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, announced she will resign effective Friday, Sept. 11. Rogers held the role for fewer than four months.
The departure comes as the office prepares for a contentious reorganization that will physically transfer more than 100 employees to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Education Department's union has opposed the move and called it illegal, and lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns about the impact on services for students with disabilities.
Why It Matters
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services administers billions of federal dollars to states and school districts to support students with disabilities and has been described by experts as the "engine room" of special education policy and implementation. Over the past year and a half, the office has experienced turmoil tied to the Trump administration's broader effort to shrink the Education Department, including layoffs and proposals to shift responsibilities to HHS.
Republicans and Democrats alike have questioned whether the reorganization will improve outcomes for students. Disability advocates have warned the transfer could create bureaucratic disruption and service delays; Rogers faced sharp scrutiny from advocates during a July 9 meeting when she struggled to allay those concerns.
In her resignation memo, Rogers wrote she remained "confident in the team's ability to continue moving forward with strengthened outcomes for individuals with disabilities through the HHS partnership."
Education Department press secretary Savannah Newhouse told USA TODAY that Rogers is "returning to her home state of Florida to take on a great opportunity and be closer to her family." Newhouse added: "We thank her for all of her hard work and dedication to bettering education and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities."
The move and Rogers' abrupt exit add another layer of uncertainty to an office charged with overseeing critical supports for students with disabilities. The story was first reported by USA TODAY; Zachary Schermele contributed reporting.
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