NCPSSERS

Critical Shortages in Special Education Teachers. Sound Familiar?

Lynn Holdheide, and Jenny DeMonte
Originally posted by American Institutes for Research, February 17, 2016

“Teacher shortages may be the most acute problem in special education. For years, states and districts have struggled to find qualified people to teach students with disabilities… Though not a new challenge, its impact has intensified as the number of students receiving special education services has increased over the past two decades.

Part of the problem may be the recent decline in enrollment in all teacher preparation programs. And retaining special education teachers is especially challenging. Often, school administrators say, it’s difficult to keep new special education teachers for more than a few years.

What drives them out? And how can we keep them?”

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Special Education Teacher Shortage Creates Opportunity for Students

Nika Anschuetz, USA Today
Originally posted by USA Today, December 14, 2015

The nation is in need for trained and qualified special education teachers. “Special ed teachers are so in demand that those pursuing general ed might consider this: The certification makes them more marketable.”

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NPR Investigates Why There’s A Shortage Of Special Education Teachers In 49 States

Sara Guaglione, iSchools Guide
Originally posted by iSchools Guide, November 9, 2015

This article discusses an NPR report that “looked into the massive shortage of special education teachers in the United States and the stress it is causing special ed teachers.”

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Behind The Shortage Of Special Ed Teachers: Long Hours, Crushing Paperwork

Lee Hale, NPR
Originally posted by NPR, November 9, 2015

“The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, requires that every student have what’s known as an IEP — Individualized Education Program. And almost always, those IEP’s spell out that students — either some of the time or all of the time — must be taught by a teacher fully certified in special education.

And yet, around the country, that’s exactly the category of teacher that’s most in demand, as many states and districts are reporting severe shortages.

…So what’s the answer? Aggressive recruitment, says Trevor Greene. He’s the human resources director of Highline Public Schools, a 19,000-student district south of Seattle…”

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To Address Teacher Shortages, Create Conditions for Educators to Thrive

Teaching Ahead Contributor, Education Week: Teacher
Originally posted by Education Week: Teacher, October 13, 2015

“Many observers see teacher shortages as a result of districts and states underpaying and overworking teachers. However, increasing teacher pay is not the entire answer to the problem. Shortages persist even in areas in which teachers are being paid adequately, and increasing pay will not begin to address the ways in which teaching often feels too challenging and, at times, unsustainable—sentiments that cause issues with both retention and recruitment.

What can states and districts do to attract and retain teachers? How can we reimagine the profession as one that is not just sustainable but desirable and engaging?

Dan Pink’s TED Talk, “The Puzzle of Motivation,” argues that humans are motivated by three things: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. As a teacher, I’d like to point out that these qualities are all too often absent from the teaching profession. If states and districts can create schools in which teachers see autonomy, mastery, and purpose clearly in their profession, they will go a long way toward solve teacher-shortage problems…”

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America’s Teaching Force, by the Numbers

By Laura McKenna, The Atlantic
Originally posted by The Atlantic, September 10, 2015

“Solutions to the teacher-shortage problem must take into account its complexities; across-the-board initiatives to increase the number of education majors are unlikely to address each state’s specific set of issues. Teacher-training programs could do a better job of providing students with concrete information about the employment realities—which subject areas need teachers and which ones don’t. Given that 14 percent of 20-somethings are unemployed, that information is certainly valuable. And greater certification portability would reduce barriers to relocation, while streamlined recertification options could help teachers who struggled to find work or were laid off during the recession return to the profession.”

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Districts Facing Teacher Shortages Look for Lifelines

By Ross Brenneman, Education Week
Originally posted by Education Week, August 6, 2015

“The most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education have in fact shown significant drops in teacher-education enrollment in many states, including in large states like Texas, New York, and California. Many experts chalk up such declines, as well as regional teacher shortages, to the Great Recession and ensuing cutbacks in public spending. Others have charged that poor teacher working conditions, such as low salaries and test-driven school cultures, are nudging existing and potential educators toward other professions, especially with the economy improving…

…Drops in education-school enrollments don’t necessarily equal shortages, though. According to data from its state education department, for instance, New York has a major surplus of certified teachers.

In shortage areas, demographic trends and school-enrollment changes tend to combine with other factors to spur greater demand for teachers…”

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Wanted: More Special Ed Teachers, Apply Everywhere

By Tom Chorneau, Cabinet Report
Originally posted by the Cabinet Report, August 4, 2015

“In what is fast becoming a national crisis, school administrators throughout the country are scrambling to fill special education positions even as some states move to create new incentives…

…A report in March from the U.S. Department of Education found few districts in the country that have not experienced some shortage of applicants for special education jobs during the past five years and put the current deficit of highly qualified instructors for students with disabilities at about 11 percent nationally…”

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Autism Surge Creates Special Education Teacher Shortages in Castro Valley

By Rebecca Parr, The Daily Review
Originally posted by Contra Costa Times on October 27, 2014.

“Like many area school districts, Castro Valley Unified has had a shortage of specialized teachers, especially special-education ones. The demand for special-education teachers nationwide has grown, as more children are diagnosed with autism.”

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School Districts Stressed By Lack Of Trained Specialists

By Jessica Bies
Originally posted by Disability Scoop on September 2, 2014.

“A shortage of school psychologists and other highly trained specialists is making state and local school districts reconsider how they fill their special education departments — and in some cases has driven administrators to new extremes when it comes to hiring staff.”

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