The Special Education Teacher Shortage

Overview 

Special Education has had a shortage in teachers across the country for quite some time now, although this is a state by state issue as each state’s shortage is different in circumstances as well as solutions [1]. When addressing the teacher shortage in special education, it’s important to understand how this affects not only current special education teachers, but also the students and their families. Overall, there are approximately 65% of public schools reporting a shortage of special education teachers with 78% of public schools reporting difficulty in hiring special education teachers [2]. 

Reasons for Shortages

When addressing special education teacher shortages, there must be common themes as to why. Discovering and addressing the root causes of burnout and therefore turnover in special education teachers is the only way to solve this crisis. In research conducted within the state of Illinois, the following key findings as to why special education teachers are leaving the field was shown in these common themes [3]:

1. Special education teachers want effective mentorship and continued professional development throughout their careers.

2. Increasingly heavy workloads result in lack of time to fulfill duties and responsibilities and deteriorating mental health for special education teachers.

3. School administrators do not have a comprehensive understanding of special education teachers’ responsibilities and duties.

4. Educator preparation programs do not adequately prepare special education teachers for non-instructional parts of their job such as writing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and successful collaboration [3].

For point 1, it’s common for anyone in a job to want mentorship and opportunities of growth in their career path. This same issue is displayed in the DSP position, although that position has lesser prerequisites than teaching. In regards to heavy workloads in point 2, as teachers leave special education classrooms, the burden only increases for current teachers, commonly causing an extraneous workload and stress levels for current teachers, which can cycle into more burnout. Point 3 highlights how a lack of understanding and support from administration can only increase the difficulties that teachers already have amid shortages, and arguably the easiest on this list to overcome. Last, writing IEPs and collaboration should be both taught and practiced in length in order for special education teachers to be prepared for the reality of their job. While the cause of teacher burnout is mostly circumstantial to the schools, the effect weighs on students and families as well.

Negative Effects 

With increased students in each classroom, it makes it more difficult for students to get the individualized support that they need, which can lessen their academic progress, including IEPs that are legally obligated to be fulfilled. With these occurrences of delayed or halted progress in academic achievement and IEP fulfillment, this trickles down to the parents of students that aren’t getting the support in the classroom to succeed that they need, in which parents are having less involvement in IEP meetings, including delayed meetings and less cooperation between parents and schools, which only causes more strain on everyone involved [4].

Economic Interventions 

With the numerous negative implications of special education teacher shortages, there have been different economic interventions being proposed and/or implemented in states across the country; all of which are intended to attract talent to fill the gaps in special education classrooms. Some of the following things being proposed at the legislative level include “changes to teacher licensure requirements, upskilling pathways for paraprofessionals, new financial assistance for new and veteran teachers, and modifications in the requirements for substitute teachers” [5]. By easing teacher licensure requirements and upskilling paraprofessionals, this can make it easier to become a special education teacher, so the gap can be bridged more effectively. The same method goes for substitute teachers, although there may be potential long term consequences for using this method. In regards to new financial assistance, increasing bonuses and salaries is the way the states and schools are able to incentivize and attract new teachers. 

To add, yielding $2,500 or more in tuition forgiveness has proven to be an effective method for attracting new special education teachers [2]. By states or school districts offering tuition reinstatement, as well as potential scholarship opportunities by universities for special education degree pursuants, this can be an added incentive for the future of special education teachers, and to hopefully have a trend of positive growth in the quantity of teachers. 

Another potential supporting factor would be the use of technology for special education students and teachers, as well as school districts doing everything that it can to provide AT. By being able to provide asisstive technology for students, the students are able to have the visual, auditory, and additional assistance that they need to succeed in the classroom [7]. For teachers, being able to have students utilize assistive technology will help improve their quality of teaching, hence the success of the students and fulfillment of their IEPs. To add, teachers with IEP softwares are able to have track and manage students' IEP and learning progress better: to read more about IEP softwares, you can read our article IEP Softwares for Parents and Teachers. Money is obviously the biggest question with any of these economic interventions, and what the national, state, and local governments are able to do, as well as what school districts and universities are able to fund and support in their budgets. 

Summary 

In all, the special education teacher shortage has been an ongoing issue for decades, affecting each state differently at different times; hence the need for numerous economic interventions for attracting, properly training in length, and retaining special education teachers. Teaching shortages have a negative effect on students, their parents, and current teachers, all in different ways. This is such a difficult situation for everyone involved. Hopefully with increased and implemented economic interventions throughout each state, we will be able to see teaching shortages diminish. 

References:

[1].https://nasbe.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/2022/01/Peyton-Acosta_Jan-2022-Standard.pdf

[2].https://childrensguild.org/schools-need-special-education-teachers-where-are-they-going-and-where-are-they-coming-from/

[3].https://teachplus.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Teach-Plus-IL_Million-Paper-Cuts.pdf

[4]. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/effects-educational-staffing-shortage-special-education/ 

[5].https://csgmidwest.org/2024/06/14/legislative-tracker-bills-to-address-teacher-shortages-2023-2024/ 

[6].https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369553860_Economic_Interventions_as_Policy_Levers_for_Attracting_and_Retaining_Special_Education_Teachers

https://openjournals.bsu.edu/JOSEP/article/view/4243/2281

[7]. https://online.uwsuper.edu/degrees/education/msed/special-education/assistive-technology-in-special-ed/