Dad and son attend and speak at
The parents weren’t leaving.
Neither was the press.
One veteran observer tried to explain to me how rare it was for 3 TV cameras to be present covering a Council education committee hearing on Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend.
“Extremely rare,” they said.
This was all the result of the Chicago’s Progressive Caucus demanding – and after long delays, getting – a hearing on cuts to special education positions enacted under former CEO, Forrest Claypool.
The Caucus wanted hearings since WBEZ’s Sarah Karp’s report. last October.
A WBEZ investigation into that 2016 (sped) overhaul found officials relied on a set of guidelines — developed behind closed doors and initially kept secret — that resulted in limiting services for special education students, services like busing, one-on-one aides, and summer school. This overhaul was orchestrated by outside auditors with deep ties to CPS CEO Forrest Claypool. They had no expertise in special education.
The Progressive Caucus was stonewalled since their initial request.
Finally hearings were scheduled for yesterday afternoon and then amazingly, just two hours before the start of the hearings, CPS’ new CEO, Janice Jackson, announced 65 new special education positions.
Like magic.
These positions could have/should have been filled at the start of the school year. It is criminal it took this long to do it.
A mother of autistic children kicks off public testimony by detailing problems. Says 1st was told he needed services that the district rep denied… says is an adversarial relationship “i am the poster child for all parent in cps and it is an atrocity what has happened to me.”
— Sarah Karp (@SSKedreporter) January 12, 2018
Also, @ChiPubSchools announcing $2.6 mill in additional sped resources this year. Most of new positions will work with bilingual sped students… WBEZ investigation found majority Latino schools under spend, compared with other majority white and Black schools on sped.
— WBEZeducation (@WBEZeducation) January 12, 2018
CPS announces new special ed hires just before aldermen publicly blast them for cuts https://t.co/umjPvyVkTv pic.twitter.com/a5zhWzhzFA
— ChiTrib Clout Street (@ChiTribCloutSt) January 12, 2018
Mrs. Rosario will have @AldermanMunoz22 translate. She has a child w Asperger’s. Many child IEP mtgs without interpreters, & can’t help her child when it’s not translated, won’t be listened to bc we don’t understand system
— Scott Waguespack (@ward32chicago) January 12, 2018
Thanks to all the #CPS parents, teachers, and advocates for children with disabilities who attended this hastily called #Chicitycouncil Education Cmte. mtg about #CPS SPED funding and policies.
— Scott Waguespack (@ward32chicago) January 12, 2018
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