Initiatives

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) of 1991 requires that all students with special needs have a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Through contracts with individual schools through the Chicago Public Schools Office of Specialized Services, professional development consultants from the Chicago Teachers’ Center assist teachers and administrators in addressing many of the issues that have arisen from the implementation of the law.

Activities include:

Graduate level school-based courses in working with diverse populations

Professional development including workshops, team meetings, and classroom coaching for general and special education teachers

Administrative planning and needs assessment

Our goal is for all children to be taught in the least restrictive environment from which they can receive educational benefit.