K-12 Dive

A persistent shortage of special education teachers nationwide is leading to a lack of supports and services needed to help students with disabilities thrive in schools, according to an investigation by a federal civil rights panel.

The growing population of students with disabilities, combined with a lag in special education hiring, “has resulted in a dearth of special educators, thus depriving students with disabilities of their right to a free appropriate public education,” the USCCR report said. The commission’s report, released Monday, finds special education teacher shortages are being caused by a myriad of factors, including both a lack of people interested in the field and retention challenges stemming from demanding workloads, administrative burdens, high student loan debt, and poor working conditions. The possible solutions, the report said, are just as varied. They include streamlined licensure programs to support prospective special educators, expansion of school choice options so that public funding follows students, local initiatives like Grow Your Own programs to increase the number of qualified special educators, and adding incentives to keep veteran teachers in classrooms.