THE GOOD NEWS
On Wednesday, the Illinois State Senate passed SB 3514 (Special Education Staffing) by a vote of 51-0. This bill ensures schools across CPS get the special education staffing they need. CPAA drafted and submitted this bill in response to concerns expressed by hundreds of school leaders. Our bill does the following:
Mandates that CPS fund the full cost of SpEd positions (prevents CPS from returning to SBB for SPED in the future)
Gives principals and IEP team members the power to set special education staffing levels
Forces CPS to investigate and prove their claims of incorrect IEPs before denying a service or position based on such claims
Prohibits CPS from forcing schools to fund special education needs with general education resources
Bans automatic IEP software functions and restrictive time windows that delay and deny IEP services
Click here to learn more about SB 3514.
THE BAD NEWS
Chicago Public Schools officials are lobbying in Springfield to stop this bill from passing in the Illinois House.
TAKE ACTION
Call your State Representative today and tell him or her to vote YES to SB 3514.