The Chicago Reporter

July was Disability Pride Month. During the past month, Chicago disability advocates had been grappling with the potential impact that a $734 million Chicago Public Schools (CPS) budget shortfall could have on special education programming. In early July, CPS announced changes in staff distribution and the layoff of special education professionals, including 677 class assistants, or SECAs, and 123 special education teachers. The changes have left community members wondering how this shift will impact their schools–and if this decision is an indicator of future budget cuts to special education. A spokesperson from CPS claimed the mass layoffs are unrelated to the deficit, but the timing of the decisions led advocates and families to believe these changes are budget-related. The staffing shift and layoffs happened at the same time CPS has been working to solve the nine-figure deficit that, according to a budget presentation by CPS, was partially driven by the “rising needs of required services for students with disabilities.”