If you’re considering a career as a teacher, you might find the most rewarding opportunities in special education. Over the past decade, Chicago and the nation have experienced a severe shortage of special education teachers. Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. In 2019–20, the number of students ages 3–21 who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 7.3 million, or 14 percent of all public-school students. Data shows that black and brown and students are identified with a disability at a 40 percent higher rate. According to the most recent federal data available, just over 82 percent of special education teachers in public schools are white, while only about half of students receiving special education services are white, according to 2017-18 data. Yet teacher diversity matters: decades of research has shown that students often perform better academically when they are taught by teachers of the same race. All teachers need to be patient and understanding, but these traits are even more essential for special education teachers, as a teacher and student will often spend extra time and energy on a single task. […]

As Chicago Public Schools students head back to the classroom this month for their first full-time, in-person learning experience in 17 months, many will be grappling with significant learning and social emotional loss. After schools transitioned to remote learning in March 2020 and only partially reopened in spring 2021, an alarming number of students were absent from their classes and/or earned failing grades. Additionally, the isolation and stresses of stay-at-home protocols created gaps in their social-emotional skills. This is especially true in low-income communities on the South and West Sides. One analysis showed that the same public high schools with the highest rise in Fs and declines in attendance serve almost entirely low-income students and students of color. These students and their families experienced the traumas of illness and loss, as well as food, housing and economic insecurity at higher rates. The cumulative impact of these obstacles raises concern that students, especially low-income children of color and those with special needs, will face challenges reacclimating to in-person learning. The key to helping children regain their academic and social-emotional footing lies at the heart of the classroom – teachers. Well-trained, highly effective teachers not only bring academic rigor to classrooms, but […]

AUSL is an equity-focused non-profit that works tirelessly with the belief that all students should have access to an excellent education. Since 2001, AUSL’s conviction for equity in education has impacted thousands of students and families who reside in under-resourced communities. This weekend the Chicago Teacher Residency celebrated the graduation of Diverse Learner, Elementary, and Middle School teachers. Hear from CTR graduate Amaziah Burton, class of 2021, on why she chose to become a resident in AUSL’s Chicago Teacher Residency. AUSL’s Chicago Teacher Residency has trained 1,218 teachers. Over 80% of our 2021 CTR class graduates are teachers of color, and 54% are special needs teachers. With your support, AUSL will continue to leverage our innovative expertise by training high-quality teachers to serve in schools with the greatest need and face higher levels of teacher turnover.

This school year, AUSL is taking you inside the schools and communities at the heart of our work with a new School of the Month series. Each month, AUSL Executive Director Adam Case will visit an AUSL partner school to meet with school leaders and educators, step inside classrooms, and…

There’s no one path to becoming a teacher. For some, the journey begins with a career change. For others, it means returning to the same school system that helped shape them. Some are continuing a path in education they already know is right for them. Throughout the 2026–27 school year,…

When Andrea Juarez walked into what she thought was another day in the classroom, she wasn’t expecting to be surprised with an oversized four-day Lollapalooza pass. But after a year of learning, growing, and finding her voice as an educator through the AUSL Teacher Residency, Andrea had one more milestone…

AUSL Friends and Supporters, Thanks to your unwavering support, 2025 was a year of meaningful growth and impact for AUSL. It was a joy to welcome a new class of resident teachers, watch them grow into confident educators, and celebrate one of our largest graduating classes in over a decade.…

The first time one of Maria Pulido’s students spoke to her without prompting, everything else in the room faded. The student, who is mostly nonverbal and typically only responds with support, spoke independently for the first time. “Ms. Pulido, my table is number 5.” It was a simple sentence. Easy…

As the new year begins, AUSL resident teacher Maria Pullido is stepping into her final semester of the AUSL Teacher Residency, ready to continue growing and excited for graduation and her future classroom! As she crosses the halfway point, we caught up with Maria to ask her to reflect on…