SPECIAL EDUCATION RESOURCING ...WHAT WE ASKED, WHAT WE LEARNED CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PRINCIPAL LIZ MOURTOKOKIS AND PRINCIPAL DR. CHRIS GRAVES
Of all topics to discuss, staffing for special education has been a hot one for years, coupled with a need for valuable training for students with disabilities. With the department undergoing changes, and now committing to being at the table to discuss improvements with our union, there’s a chance that we will see some positive changes. This will take time, and the updates we heard at the meeting plus issues we addressed leave me feeling positive. Of course, there will always be more work to do as well, which will be a work in progress. Early in September CPAA hosted CPS’s Office of Students with Disabilities for a working session on allocations and appeals. The goal was simple… cover IEP minutes as written, reduce friction for schools, and fix the processes that keep getting in the way.
WHAT OSD SAID Summer vs. fall reality: projections often miss, so OSD relies on a 5th-day adjustment and approves few summer appeals. Formulas under review • SECA denominator: CPS uses 1,950 minutes; CPAA maintains 1,800 to reflect lunches/breaks. OSD is inspecting this. • SPED teacher denominator: CPS uses 1,500; members argue 1,450 better reflects real availability (minus lunch, prep, 75 non- instructional). • Vacancies: acknowledged for SPED teachers and SECAs; OSD is open to CPAA help recruiting/certifying. Appeals cadence: a calendar run so some shifts are auto-caught without constant filings. Commitment restated: positions to cover all IEP minutes as written. System fixes: past SSM/Dashboard calc issues acknowledged… OSD says resolved.
The session was collaborative… even when we didn’t agree. While improvements move forward, students can’t wait. CPAA urged OSD to prioritize staffing, adjust the formulas, and deliver training that helps now. CPAA plans to host an additional session in the coming weeks.
14 • CPAA MAGAZINE | OCT 2025
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