There are over 7.5 million American children ages 3-21 who receive special education services, or 15% of all public school students. This constitutes a large number of children who require individualized support beyond the general education curriculum as determined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The pervasive special education teacher shortages are put into perspective when one considers all the individual students whose educational needs are affected.
Of 700 K-12 administrators surveyed in a 2024 study, 80% of respondents were experiencing shortages in special education teacher staffing. Most districts were also in need of paraprofessionals to staff special education classrooms. Two thirds of administrators stated that hiring for special education positions has been more difficult in the past year, with urban districts having the most difficulty. Not only do administrators report that there are fewer applicants for special education teaching jobs in recent years, but special educators, when surveyed, report there are not enough special education teachers or support personnel to serve the current population of students with disabilities.
To make matters worse, the turnover rate of special education teachers is about 12.3%, which is twice the rate of attrition present in general education teachers. This problem continues to compound as recent federal legislation has impacted funding availability for schools while there continues to be an increase in federal education mandates. Teacher shortages, attrition, and funding all impact the availability of special education educators available to serve our students.
In order to understand the issues of teacher retention and attrition it is essential to underscore the scope of the challenges special educators face. Preaching to the choir, but special educators are often required to teach multiple subjects across multiple grade levels. Additionally, they are required to maintain extensive paperwork, such as IEPs, to track and document student progress. These programs are often under-resourced due to budget limitations and special educators seldom have adequate planning time needed to maintain the quality education our students deserve. Special education teachers often have to modify and adapt curricula that were not made with their students in mind. To adequately address the teacher shortage, school districts must first address the systemic conditions that cause teacher burnout.
The teacher shortage poses obvious problems such as inequity in the education special education students are receiving. With fewer staff to manage and teach classrooms, the student to teacher ratio is often so high it leads to an unconducive learning environment. With not enough staff to teach students with disabilities, our students are left with underqualified teachers in their classrooms which can hinder student progress. Stability and consistency are essential for the instruction of our students.
The financial implications of teacher turnover is extensive. Each teacher that leaves a school district can cost that district between $10,000-$25,000 relating to expenses to recruit, train, and hire new teachers.
There are a few examples of districts that have started to reverse the teacher turn over problem. In 2020, Hawaii Public Schools raised the salaries of special education teachers in the state by $10,000 and it is estimated that increase reduced unfilled teaching positions by 32%. But, pay alone is not simply enough. Special education teachers also need professional development opportunities to stay consistent with current best practices, support and mentorship to traverse the challenges of their roles, and a manageable workload or adequate staffing to manage their workloads.
TeachTown’s K-12 standards-first, adapted core curriculum, enCORE, offers scripted and differentiated lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school special education classrooms. Access to these lessons drastically cuts down a teacher’s preparation time, which in turn can lead to more time spent working directly with individual students and less teacher burnout.
Additionally, accessing scripted lesson plans is especially helpful for less experienced special educators as they are still able to provide high-quality instruction to our student population.
Solving the teacher shortage problem is more complex than just raising compensation, it will take a multipronged and inclusive approach to ensure students with disabilities are receiving the education they deserve.
Contributor Bio
Shea Kytomaa, M.A., BCBA, has her Master’s in Education from The University of Texas at Austin, specializing in Autism and Developmental Disabilities. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has worked in K-12 schools, clinics, and community mental health centers. Shea currently serves as a Classroom Consultant at TeachTown and is passionate about bringing their K-12 adapted core curriculum into special education classrooms.