Chicago’s division lead for particular schooling, Stephanie Jones, is out

Stephanie Jones, the chief of Chicago Public Faculties’ particular schooling division, left the district on Friday, amid criticism for her function within the district’s failure to repair violations involving the usage of bodily restraint and timeout on college students. 

Jones’ management has confronted scrutiny from the district’s academics union, mother and father, and  advocates for college kids with disabilities over considerations about excessive employees turnover on her staff, restoration providers for college kids in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and different points. 

The Chicago Lecturers Union’s governing physique handed a vote of no confidence in Jones in late Might and known as on the district to fireside her for “dismal failures to guard the district’s most susceptible college students, continued violation of particular schooling legal guidelines and the creation of a poisonous office.”

Chicago named Richard Smith as interim chief whereas the district conducts a nationwide seek for a brand new division lead, in accordance with a spokesperson for Chicago Public Faculties. Smith is a former CPS faculty principal, chief community officer, and chief officer for the Workplace of Particular Training and Helps (now often called the Workplace of Numerous Learner Helps and Providers). 

This week, Chalkbeat Chicago reported that Chicago Public Faculties is below watch by the Illinois State Board of Training as a result of the district has been violating state legal guidelines governing the usage of restraint and timeout in lecture rooms. 

In a letter dated April 18, the state board cited Jones for not correctly fulfilling her function because the designated official accountable for restraint and timeout insurance policies and incidents. The official is meant to take care of a replica of data, be notified of each incident by the top of the varsity day on which it occurred, and obtain documentation or any analysis of any incident that exceeds quarter-hour of bodily restraint or half-hour for timeout. 

Jones informed the state board on Dec. 23, 2022 that she had delegated the accountability to a different particular person on her staff however that particular person left in March 2023. With out anybody monitoring restraint and timeout incidents throughout the town’s public colleges, the state mentioned the district was not in compliance with state regulation. 

“We sincerely thank Dr. Jones for her dedication to serving college students in Chicago with numerous studying wants, and we want her properly in her future endeavors,” a spokesperson for Chicago mentioned in an announcement on Friday. 

Earlier within the week, at a Wednesday press convention, CEO Pedro Martinez mentioned in response to a query in regards to the state’s restraint and timeout considerations that enhancing providers for college kids with disabilities is a prime precedence for his administration. He vowed that the district will meet all state necessities round coaching and compliance with restraint guidelines earlier than the beginning of the varsity 12 months in August.

He famous that the district is growing funding for incapacity providers by $100 million within the subsequent faculty 12 months’s finances and mentioned colleges will employees extra academics and aides working with college students with disabilities.  

“That is an space that has been a problem in our district for the final 20 years,” he mentioned. “However we’re going to repair it.”

On the Wednesday occasion, Martinez sidestepped a query about who will likely be held accountable for the restraint points.

In latest months, Jones has emerged as a candidate for management jobs in different districts, together with Kalamazoo Public Faculties in Michigan, the place she was named finalist for the superintendent place. One other candidate was chosen for that function.

Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter protecting Chicago Public Faculties. Contact Mila at mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org.

Samantha Smylie is the state schooling reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago, protecting faculty districts throughout the state, laws, particular schooling, and the state board of schooling. Contact Samantha at ssmylie@chalkbeat.org.