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January 27, 2021 By Karen Graham-Cannon

Attract, Prepare, Retain: Effective Personnel For All – Information and Resources

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is focusing on strategies to attract, prepare, and retain effective personnel—general and special education teachers, early childhood personnel, and related services providers—who have the knowledge and skills needed to provide effective instruction, interventions, supports, and services to children with disabilities. This is a topic that is important for schools, states, communities, businesses, districts, and professional organizations. This topic disproportionately affects children with disabilities and their families due to the many unfilled positions and high attrition rates among special education teachers, early childhood personnel, and related services providers. This page provides research and resources for stakeholders to explore potential strategies and innovative approaches to address this critical need. 

Learn more.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Retention Tagged With: attract, early childhood, retain, Special Education

February 21, 2020 By Haley Blum

Watch Video of ASHA Town Hall on Attracting, Preparing, and Retaining School-Based SLPs

Video recordings and slides from the 2019 ASHA Schools Virtual Town Hall, the second installment in the town hall series, are now available.

The event featured a moderator and panel to address the need to expand the school-based speech-language pathologist (SLP) workforce. Panelists presented innovative strategies and solutions to attract, prepare, and retain school-based SLPs. View presentation slides and video from the event.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Retention Tagged With: School Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Town Hall

November 5, 2019 By Haley Blum

Free Toolkit Helps Address Special Education Teacher Shortages Locally

A new, free toolkit is now available to help lead state and district teams through a collaborative process in developing a comprehensive approach for addressing special education teacher shortages.

The toolkit, “Educator Shortages in Special Education: Toolkit for Developing Local Strategies,” is a collaborative effort between the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders and the Collaborative for Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform, both funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

The free resource is organized around a facilitation guide and three supporting tools. Aligned with current efforts from OSEP, the collaborative process featured in the toolkit intentionally examines shortages across the entire career continuum—from attracting to preparing to retaining teachers—so that all students with disabilities have access to effective teachers.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Retention, Special Education Shortages Tagged With: Special Education, Toolkit

November 5, 2019 By Haley Blum

Get Resources and Solutions to Attract, Prepare, and Retain School-Based SLPs

Please join the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for the 2019 ASHA Schools Virtual Town Hall, “Attract, Prepare, and Retain School-Based SLPs,” on Monday, December 9, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., EST. This free livestream event will feature a moderator and panel to address the need to expand the school-based SLP workforce.

Town Hall participants will learn from school-based SLPs, school district decision makers, and state education departments about strategies to attract, prepare, and retain school-based SLPs. Attendees will be able to ask questions and comment during the event. Register today.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Retention Tagged With: School Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Town Hall

June 28, 2019 By Haley Blum

Schools Struggle to Find Therapists

James D. Wolf, Jr.

Originally posted by the Monticello Herald Journal, June 26, 2019

Speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and even school psychologists are scarce, and they tend to go to clinics and hospitals, which pay more.

Read the full article.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Retention, Special Education Shortages Tagged With: Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, School Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists

April 18, 2019 By Haley Blum

Nationwide Shortage of School Nurses Called a ‘Crisis’ That May Be Putting Kids’ Lives at Risk

Originally posted by CBS News, April 11, 2019

Only three out of five schools across the country have full-time school nurses often forcing school administrators, with no medical training, to step in and provide some level of care. Over the past several years, multiple children have died after facing medical emergencies in their schools when no nurse was on duty.

Read the full article.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Retention Tagged With: Nursing, School Nurses

March 15, 2019 By Haley Blum

Full-Time School Nurses in Short Supply

Robbie Feinberg
Originally posted by Marketplace.org, February 13, 2019

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of diseases like diabetes and epilepsy have surged in children over the past few decades. Mental health needs have increased. Despite this, a 2018 study in the Journal of School Nursing found that fewer than 40 percent of schools employ full-time school nurses.

Read the full article.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Retention Tagged With: Nursing, School Nurses, Short Supply

December 5, 2018 By Haley Blum

Shortage of Special Educators Adds to Classroom Pressures

Christina A. Samuels and Alex Harwin
Originally posted by Education Week, December 5, 2018

The number of special education teachers nationally has dropped by more than 17 percent over the past decade, a worrisome trend in a career path that has seen chronic shortages for years.

Read the full article.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Retention, Special Education Shortages Tagged With: Funding, Nationwide, Special Education, Teachers

November 16, 2017 By Haley Blum

Teacher Shortage Hitting Illinois School Districts Hard

Jason Nevel
Originally posted by The State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois), November 12, 2017

A “perfect storm” of factors—including tough licensing requirements, fears about state funding, low starting salaries, and negative perception of education—has affected the amount of vacancies in Illinois public schools. There are currently 2,013 unfilled positions in the state, including teachers, administrative staff, and school support staff, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Read the full article.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Special Education Shortages

October 27, 2017 By Haley Blum

Districts Tap Paraprofessionals to Meet Demand for Special Ed Teachers

Linda Jacobson
Originally posted by EducationDIVE, October 19, 2017

“In the first year of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s STEP UP and Teach program, 150 paraprofessionals enrolled in the program, which provides up to $4,800 in tuition reimbursement, professional development and guidance from a mentor as the candidates take on more teaching responsibilities in classrooms and work toward their degree. … Many [of the] paraprofessionals come from the communities where they work, which in diverse school districts can help to increase the numbers of educators who share the same race, ethnicity and home language as the students they serve.”

Read the full article.

Filed Under: News, Recruitment, Retention, Special Education Shortages Tagged With: Paraprofessionals, Special Education, Teachers, Training

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