20-1. General Provisions
20-1.1. Definitions.
20-1.1(a). Teacher Clinicians Defined.
For the purposes of this Article, clinicians are defined as all full-time certified or licensed employees who hold School Service Personnel certifications under Article 21 of the Illinois School Code in the following titles: counselor, certified school nurse, school psychologist, school social worker, speech pathologist, occupational therapist, and physical therapist.
20-1.1(b). PSRP clinicians defined.
For purposes of this Article, PSRP clinicians are defined as full-time certified or licensed employees who are employed in the following titles: PSRP case manager or PSRPs assigned case management responsibilities, licensed practical nurse, health service nurse, and health assistant.
20-1.2. Teacher clinician Regular School Day.
20-1.2(a). Elementary and Middle Schools.
The regular school day for clinicians assigned to any elementary or middle school (including schools operated by entities other than the BOARD) shall be seven hours with a continuous lunch period of forty-five minutes with no work responsibilities.
20-1.2(b). High Schools.
The regular school day for clinicians assigned to any high school (including schools operated by entities other than the BOARD) shall be seven hours and fifteen minutes with a continuous lunch period of forty-five minutes with no work responsibilities.
20-1.3. Teacher Clinician Preparation Periods.
Each clinician’s school day shall include sixty minutes of continuous duty-free preparation time. Four days each week the clinician’s preparation time shall be self-directed; one day each week a sixty minute period shall be directed by the principal or the clinician manager, as appropriate. Clinicians shall be released from two department-directed professional development days per school year, or, alternatively, the equivalent amount of time as determined by the clinician’s discipline department head. This time may be scheduled as full days, partial days, or in smaller increments (e.g., manager-directed preparation periods). The release schedule will be shared with the clinician ahead of time. The purpose of this release time is to allow clinicians to work on IEPs, complete IEP report cards, or address documentation and medical compliance tasks.
20-1.4. Content of Professional Development.
The BOARD shall provide relevant professional development to clinicians to promote positive student and school outcomes. Professional development shall include, but not be limited to, training on new BOARD-managed initiatives and changes to IMPACT and other BOARD hardware and software computer applications. The BOARD shall survey clinicians’ professional development needs annually. All clinicians shall receive training for all computer programs required to complete their work.
20-1.4(a).
The BOARD will offer Professional Development sessions relevant to their assigned duties.
20-1.4(b). Telework on Professional Development Days.
At the discretion of the Chief Officer of the Office for Students with Disabilities or their designee, clinicians may be permitted to telework on self-directed professional development day.
20-1.4(c).
The UNION and BOARD PPC members shall jointly survey clinicians annually to determine professional development topics for the upcoming school year. The BOARD will consider this input when planning professional development for that year.
20-1.5. Receipt of Tentative Schedules.
Clinicians shall receive their tentative schedules no later than May 15.
20-1.6. Teacher Clinician Responsibilities.
In programming and directing the work of Office for Students with Disabilities and the Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW) clinicians, the BOARD and its administrators shall endeavor to assign duties consistent with the recommendations and guidelines developed by national and other recognized professional organizations, except when such recommendations are inconsistent with fair-share responsibilities or BOARD or local school level administrative and educational requirements.
20-1.7. Work Space and Equipment for Clinicians.
Clinicians shall be provided with appropriate work space to include a desk, chair and testing tables; a computer; a locking file cabinet with a key; direct access to working copiers, printers and telephones for follow up calls; testing environments that are heated and well ventilated; and necessary supplies, including file folders, paper clips and envelopes to store professional protocols. Closets, boiler rooms, and bathrooms are not considered appropriate workspaces. Non-instructional spaces within schools such as hallways, auditoriums, playgrounds, staircases and other similar spaces should only be used as to provide therapeutic services when the alternative environment is not conducive to the services being provided. The Office for Students with Disabilities and the Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW) shall inform principals annually at the beginning of the year about clinician work space needs in writing. A copy of this written transmission shall be submitted to the City-Wide Professional Problems Committee at the first meeting. The Principal shall provide clinicians access to a designated space within the school building that is confidential, appropriate and private for the provision of therapeutic services and testing to students. The Principal or designee will provide clinicians a weekly schedule of the designated space. Work space allocated to clinicians shall provide appropriate privacy for the administration of tests (in accordance with CPS-allocated test requirements and state and national standards) and confidential discussions and shall be as free from noise and interruption as the educational program and the school facility permits. Principals shall provide all necessary materials and information to ensure access to the Clinicians’ assigned school buildings Clinicians shall also be provided access to the rooms and spaces where they work and provide services to students. The Office for Students with Disabilities and the Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW) shall conduct a survey to be distributed to clinicians before the end of September each school year to ascertain whether the work space conditions are adequate as defined in this article. A process to remediate complaints shall be determined by the Clinician Professional Problems Committee with the Office of Labor Relations, the administrators of Office for Students with Disabilities, and the Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW).
20-1.7(a). Parking Passes.
CPS and CTU will explore partnerships with the City of Chicago to secure a citywide parking pass that allows parking for clinicians in permit-only zones in the city on Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 4:30 p.m.
20-1.7(b). Student Health Emergency.
All Clinicians must be provided a method for immediately contacting school office staff in case of a student health emergency.
20-1.7(c). Future Remodels or Rebuilds.
All future remodels or rebuilds of a school will include appropriate work space for clinicians as defined in Article 20-1.7.
20-1.8. Filling Vacancies.
Vacancies in clinician positions shall be filled based upon city-wide needs. First consideration for such vacancies shall be given to those clinicians who have expressed a desire to transfer. Experience shall be a consideration. The final decision as to the transfer shall be made by the Office for Students with Disabilities and the Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW), unless the duties of the position are performed at a single attendance center, in which case the final decision as to transfer shall be made by the receiving school principal.
20-1.9. Travel Time.
A clinician who must travel during the afternoon shall be given a daily uninterrupted lunch period of forty-five minutes with no work responsibilities exclusive of travel time.
20-1.10. Meetings Among Related Services Personnel.
Related services personnel (e.g., school psychologists, school social workers, speech language pathologists, school nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and/or other district resource personnel) shall be provided time to meet periodically with special education teachers during the school day during their preparation periods to discuss matters of professional interest. Related services personnel shall arrange conferences periodically with the teachers of students with disabilities during the school day at times, if possible, when students are not scheduled for their classrooms.
20-1.11. Caseloads for City-Wide Itinerant Teachers and Service Providers.
Caseloads for city-wide itinerant teachers and service providers shall be established by the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and the Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW) on a yearly basis taking into consideration the suggestions of the City-Wide Professional Problems Committee. The suggestions may include the number of schools per teacher, the number of students per teacher, travel times, direct and consultative minutes, the nature of cases and other relevant matters. Caseloads for city-wide itinerant teachers and service providers shall be assigned on as equitable a basis as possible. (See Article 21-13. Workload for Special Educators and PSRPs.)
20-1.12. Licensure Compliance.
The Board and the Union recognize that clinicians are licensed by the state and must abide by state and federal laws and regulations. The Board will not take any action to jeopardize the professional licensure of clinicians.
20-1.13. Elimination of Subcontracting and Privatization of Clinicians, Teacher Assistants, Librarians, and Nurses.
Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, the BOARD will not contract out or otherwise privatize teacher clinician positions (as defined in Article 20-1.1(a)), PSRP clinician positions (as defined in Article 20-1.1(b)), teacher assistants or librarians, except for short-term substitutes or to meet mandated services. The BOARD agrees that a nurse that meets the minimal requirements of a posted position has the right to apply to be a staff nurse for CPS and shall endeavor to hire former agency nurses and UAPs directly.
20-1.14. Workload for Clinicians.
20-1.14(a). Development of Work Load Plan.
In accordance with Sections 226.730 and 226.735 of the Illinois State Board of Education Rules and Regulations, the BOARD shall develop, in cooperation with the UNION, a plan specifying limits on the work load of its clinicians (including OT/PTs) to ensure that all services required under the students’ Individualized Educational Programs, as well as all needed ancillary and support services, will be provided at the requisite level of intensity. This plan shall include a procedure for clinicians to report when they believe their workloads do not comply with the plan and shall contain a method for expeditiously and efficiently resolving any non-compliance. The BOARD and the UNION will develop by mutual agreement a workload plan in accordance with Section 226.735 of the Illinois State Board of Education Rules and Regulations to be agreed upon by the BOARD and the UNION, by December 31, 2027.
20-1.14(b). Team Day scheduling.
If a clinician is scheduled in two or fewer schools, the clinician shall not be assigned to schools with the same team days.
20-1.15. Clinician Assignment.
20-1.15(a). Principal and Clinician Assignment Requests.
A Principal can request a clinician be reassigned. The Principal shall be required to hold at least one problem solving meeting with the clinician and the clinician's manager at least 90 days before the request out period. The principal shall clearly state the reason they believe the clinician cannot appropriately service the school and should be reassigned. A Clinician can request to be reassigned from their work site by submitting a formal written request to their manager, including the rationale for the reassignment and any relevant supporting documentation. The manager will hold at least one problem solving meeting with the clinician at least 90 days before the request out period.
20-1.16. Materials.
The BOARD shall provide clinical materials (e.g. test kits, equipment).
20-1.17. Stipends and Reimbursements.
Clinicians shall be allowed to use the supply money (Article 7-6) to purchase therapeutic materials.
20-1.18. Flex Days.
Effective SY25-26, Clinicians shall participate in flex professional development days. During SY24-25, the Office for Students with Disabilities, the Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW) and the City-Wide Clinicians PPC will collaborate to develop a process allowing clinicians to centrally determine and vote on options for flex professional development day options.