The Jones complaint also names two other staff members from CPS, including Executive Director Dr. Hireshemo Clark and District Representative Manager Sarah Briggs. Complainants allege that both individuals were hired into their positions without notification to the special education department or an opportunity for other qualified candidates to apply.
As district representative manager, Briggs oversees 38 district representatives in the school district tasked with making sure that students with disabilities who require specialized services by federal law are receiving them. Another major component of her job, according to the Jones complaint, is overseeing Student Specific Corrective Action (SSCA), a measure set in place by the Illinois State Board of Education in 2018 to ensure that remedies are offered to the 10,500 students who were harmed by the school district’s overhaul of special education services in 2016.
SSCA “can have huge financial implications” for the school district, according to the complainants who feel that anyone in the position to oversee that process should have the proper credentials, but Briggs “does not.”
According to the complainants, Briggs’ position should be held by someone with an Illinois Professional Educator’s License with an administrative endorsement. Briggs’ license currently does not include that endorsement, according to the Illinois State Board of Education educator licensure information system.
Jones, Briggs and Clark were all hired after the school district’s overhaul of the special education program which led to a state investigation confirming that the district limited services to students who needed them. As a way to hold the school district accountable, the state required CPS to undergo a three-year plan to fix the problems associated with the overhaul and provide remedies to the more than 10,000 students affected by it.
“It disempowers parents and it makes them [unable] to advocate for their children,” said Terri Smith-Roback, a CPS special education advocate, about the impact of an alleged toxic work environment on students. “People are demoralized and leaving.”
Though the Jones complaint was addressed to multiple senior officials, including the former Inspector General Nick Schuler, a CPS spokesperson said the school district is unaware of any ongoing investigations related to the matter.
“Dr. Jones has the highest integrity and is performing her duties with a steadfast commitment to serving CPS families and students with special needs,” said the district in a statement to the TRiiBE on May 13. “Dr. Jones brings years of experience to her role and as a mother of a student with special needs, she brings a unique perspective – one of personal understanding and commitment to the needs of all of our diverse learners and their families.”
Current CPS Inspector General Will Fletcher also told The TRiiBE on May 6 that they “cannot deny or confirm the existence of an investigation” related to the Jones complaint.
As the CPS district begins it’s search for a new CEO, Hughes hopes for a better administration that will take concerns related to special education more seriously.
“I hope they make sure there’s personnel in place who are willing to put students first,” she said. “[I hope] that they can focus on what’s really happening and not so much the marketing.”
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