Many states struggle with shortages of special education teachers (SET). To address the shortage problem in the long term, policymakers, preparation providers, and state and district administrators must ensure that any short-term strategies are combined with a comprehensive plan that includes long-term systemic strategies to strengthen the supply, preparation, and retention of special education teachers.

The Clark County School District is once again bringing in special education teachers from the Philippines to address shortages

Special education teacher shortage in central GA

Several parents at Elizondo Elementary School received last-minute phone calls from their children’s school asking them to keep their students out of school due to a staffing shortage in special education classrooms.

As students head back to the classroom, many Maine school districts are dealing with a special education teacher shortage.

In order to reduce the number of teaching vacancies that currently exist, Mercer County Schools has an Alternative Certification for Teachers program in collaboration with Marshall University and Concord University that would allow someone who has a four-year degree in an area other than teaching to be hired in a teaching position for a subject experiencing shortages.

Thousands of additional children will soon be eligible for special education services after state officials eliminated an illegal cap that artificially tamped down Texas special education rolls for a decade. But even if the state fully funds the estimated $3 billion cost of providing that extra instruction, educators say one big question remains: Where will schools find up to 9,000 new special education teachers?