catalyst-chicago.org

In its first two years, Hope Institute Learning Academy was roiled by the departure of two principals, more than half the school’s first cadre of staff and a private education management company.

The Academy, which aims to be a model for the inclusion of students with special needs, lost a legal complaint filed by parents who accused Hope of failing to provide legally required special education services for their children, raising questions about whether the school can achieve its goal.

Charter school operators have long complained that the district undercuts them when it comes to funding for special education students and are pushing CPS for more equitable funding.

Illinois Network for Charter Schools President Andrew Broy says that the issue is one of the last remaining negotiation points for a charter-district compact now in the works. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is pushing these compacts nationally, to encourage cooperation and collaboration between charter and traditional schools.