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Teachers and special‑education staff warn proposed staffing changes could cut legally required services
Summary
Teachers, union representatives and special‑education department leaders told the board they had been informed of staffing reductions that could reduce special‑education coverage and run afoul of state ratios, and they urged CPS to publicly share allocation calculations and to fund needed positions.
Multiple speakers at the June 11 agenda review meeting described district budget allocations that they say would reduce special‑education staffing and impair schools’ ability to meet students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
Jackie Fournier, special‑education department chair at Lane Tech, said the school received notice it would lose 11 special‑education teacher positions in the non‑cluster program — “a 25.5% cut in our allocated special‑education teaching staff.” She told the board the school’s internal audit shows it needs 192 class sections to meet IEP requirements next year but, with the proposed staffing, could cover only 160 sections.
Fournier said district instructions to operate classes at a “70/30” ratio — described in testimony as nine students with IEPs in a class of 28 — conflicted with Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) expectations and collective‑bargaining rules. She said principals report the ratio is being used as a district‑wide tool to reduce services.
Amavia Burton, a special‑education teacher at Phillips High School, said her school currently has eight teachers and three seakers for roughly 391 students, about 19% of whom have IEPs. Burton told the board her school learned it is slated to lose one teacher and one seaker and that those cuts would make it impossible to meet legal accommodations for many students.
Union and parent leaders raised related concerns. Jackson Potter, CTU vice president, asked the board to ensure hiring and retention align with the district’s agreements and protections and said district communications about waivers are “imprecise” and causing anxiety among staff.
Speakers requested that the district publicly release the staffing allocation formulas used for next year’s school staffing (SSM model), direct the Office of Special Education (OSD) to fund positions needed to meet IEP requirements and stop using the new ratio guidance as a tool to reduce services. Those requests were made during public comment; the board did not take formal action on allocations at the agenda review meeting.
