April 8, 2017, Chicago Tribune: D203 to add 37 new staffers, including for special education http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-d203-special-needs-staff-st-0409-20170408-story.html
Naperville Community Unit School District 203 officials anticipate hiring additional staff next year to serve an increasing number of students with special needs.
District officials told school board members last week they expect to add the equivalent of 17.8 full-time staff members to meet high school and special education needs. While most of the additional staff is due to restructuring, district officials noted 7.1 of those positions are due to an increase in the number of students with individualized education plans. District officials expect to see an increase of 222 students with special plans next school year.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.