Chicago school system let thousands of special needs students fall through the cracks
“The pandemic, which pushed some public school systems to their breaking point, also exposed serious flaws in the system for students with disabilities.
The year at home created a huge backlog of old IEPs that will likely lead to widening academic gaps for students who depend on special education services. In Chicago, students with disabilities make up 14.6% of the city’s enrollment. Of the 50,000 students who need extra help, nearly half are Latino, and 40% are black.”