Johnny Collett, who has served as assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services at the U.S. Department of Education for nearly two years, is stepping down. (Anne Meadows/Flickr)

The U.S. Department of Education’s assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services, Johnny Collett, plans to resign at the end of this week. Collette led the administration’s push to loosen federal special education regulations, a change that met strong opposition from disability advocates and was partially reversed by a U.S. District judge. His successor, Mark Schultz, has a background in vocational rehabilitation.