If you received a claims notice, then your child may be eligible for a money remedy for missed special education services from Chicago Public Schools.
During the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years, some students at Chicago Public Schools (CPS) did not receive all Individualized Education Plan (IEP) services that they were entitled to because of CPS policies that made it harder for IEP teams to provide those services. CPS has reached out to these students who missed out on services. As part of a project called “Student Specific Corrective Action,” or “SSCA,” CPS is offering them a money remedy for the services they missed. These students may be eligible for one or more of the remedies listed below during the 2016-17 or 2017-18 school years.
| CPS Identified Area | Remedy (per year) |
| Extended School Year (ESY) | $800.00 |
| Transportation | $1,250.00 |
| Paraprofessional | $2,000.00 |
| Specific Learning Disability (SLD) | $4,000.00 |
| Budget (Impact on special education staff) | $2,000.00 |
Familes who have been found eligible are receiving claims letters that include a Claim Id and PIN. To claim your remedy (monetary compensation), you must file a claim under the File Claim tab of this website. You will need to have ready your Claim ID number and PIN as well as the address to which you would like the remedy sent. After you enter your information, you will see the amount of money that is being offered to you.
The deadline for claiming the money remedy is September 30, 2022. If the remedy is not claimed by the deadline, the identified student will lose the money.
CPS recommends using the money to buy educational services or materials for the child. For example: tutoring, therapy, sports camps, music lessons, museum memberships, art classes, learning software, books, and so on. The money remedy is meant to help make up for any learning that your child may have missed because they did not receive the services they should have been provided during the 2016-17 or 2017-18 school years. If your child was identified under the transportation area, the remedy is meant to reimburse you for providing your own transportation.
Please note that if you receive public benefits, the money remedy could have an impact on those benefits. If you have concerns about your benefits, contact the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities at (312) 746-5743, or Legal Aid Chicago at (312) 341-1070 for assistance with this issue before accepting your remedy. Limited service-based remedies are available to families who would lose their benefits if they accepted the money remedy being offered by CPS.
For more information about SSCA, visit cps.edu/ssca, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call CPS at (773) 553-1843 with questions about SSCA. You can also call the Equip for Equality hotline to talk to a lawyer who represents parents for free: (312) 895-7231.