NCPSSERS

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…”

Read the full story.

Post Navigation Report: Fixing CA Teacher Shortage Requires ‘Profound Shift’ in Thinking

By Craig Clough, LA School Report
Originally posted by the LA School Report, June 29, 2015

“Among the biggest challenges facing California school districts in the coming years is a growing teacher shortage. Enrollment in teacher preparation programs has plummeted since 2008, and more than 100,000 teachers are expected to retire in the next decade.

Despite the gathering storm, the state lacks any cohesive strategy to solving the problem, according to a new report from Bellwether Education Partners, a national non-profit that focuses on improving education, especially for high-needs students. The solution would require a “profound shift” in thinking and involve a multi-faceted approach that would bring more cohesiveness to strategies at the statewide and local level, the report finds.”

Read the full story.

Sharp Rise in Occupational Therapy Cases at New York’s Schools

By Elizabeth A. Harris
Originally posted by The New York Times on February 17, 2015.

“The number of children receiving such [occupational] therapy in New York and elsewhere has shot up in recent years, the byproduct of increasing numbers of special-needs students, a new approach toward teaching them and, to a lesser extent, greater academic demands on all young children.”

Read the full story.

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.”

Read the full story.

Nonteaching Staff Contributes to Successful Student Learning

By Kelly Vaillancourt, Libby Nealis, and Neil A. Snyder – Co-Chairs of the National Alliance of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel
Originally posted by Education Week on October 3, 2014.

A letter to the editor in response to “The Hidden Half: School Employees Who Don’t Teach,” by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

“This report implies that the increase in “nonteaching” staff constitutes a potential luxury our schools can do without. Particularly troublesome is the statement that these professionals do not contribute to the academic achievement of students. This is simply not true.”

Read the full story.

Philadelphia Tragedy Highlights Role of School Nurses

By Denisa Superville and Evie Blad
Originally posted by Education Week on June 2, 2014.

“The death last month of a Philadelphia elementary student who fell ill at a school that did not have a full-time nurse on duty has reignited debate in the city and nationwide over the importance of school nurses and the reasons why they are among the first to go when money becomes scarce…”

Read the full story.