Chicago’s Special Education Shake-Up Sparks Urgency, Uncertainty, and Hope
- Natalie Frank
- Jul 31
- 1 min read
As CPS restructures its special education department weeks before the start of school, families, advocates are left balancing cautious optimism with serious concerns
Natalie C. Frank, Ph.D July 31, 2025
CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials have announced a major internal shake-up as they reorganize the Special Education Department. This effort will affect 65 central office positions and eliminate key departments that once handled compliance and instructional support. While CPS leadership promises that the changes are about improving outcomes, not cutting costs, families and the community at large have their doubts.
Advocates and families are eyeing the transition with a mix of hope, skepticism, and anxiety.
An internal email from Joshua Long, Chief of the Office for Students with Disabilities, described what this significant restructuring will look like. The most notable change is that the Department of Procedures and Standards and the Department of Instructional Support, two long-standing divisions within special education, are being dissolved. In their place, CPS is launching a new entity: the Department of Academic Access.
