Addressing the Special Education Teacher Shortage: Causes and Solutions

The shortage of special education teachers (SETs) is a critical issue impacting the quality of education for students with disabilities across the United States. During the 2022-23 school year, 21% of schools reported at least one vacancy in special education, and 55% of schools reported difficulty filling these positions (School Pulse Panel, 2024). This problem stems from high turnover rates, with approximately 15% of special education teachers leaving their schools annually (Gilmour et al., 2023), and declining numbers of new special education teachers graduating from teacher preparation programs (Harper et al., 2023; Nguyen et al., 2024). The consequences of this shortage are far-reaching, affecting both students and the overall educational system.

The Detrimental Effects of Staffing Shortages

The lack of qualified special education teachers can severely limit the services available to students with disabilities. The Government Accountability Office (2024) found that some students did not receive necessary special education services or experienced delays due to staffing challenges. In some instances, districts have resorted to using unqualified staff or providing virtual services that are less effective than in-person instruction. A court case in Pennsylvania highlighted the severity of this issue when an autistic student was denied services outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) due to staff shortages (Zirkel, November 2024).

The impact of staffing shortages extends beyond direct instructional services. For students with specific learning disabilities, it can mean reduced access to intensive, individualized instruction. Unqualified personnel may lack the necessary training to collect and use data effectively for instructional decision-making. Furthermore, when experienced special education teachers leave, their knowledge and expertise are lost, disrupting program implementation and school-wide reform efforts (Sindelar et al., 2006). Open positions are often filled by less experienced teachers who are typically less effective than more experienced teachers (Papay & Kraft, 2015). The departure of a teacher also impacts the effectiveness of their remaining colleagues (Atteberry et al., 2017; Ronfeldt et al., 2013).

Unequitable Distribution of Staffing Problems

The effects of special education staffing problems are not equitably distributed. Schools and districts in rural areas or those serving more racially/ethnically minoritized students or students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds experience the greatest staffing challenges. For example, 17% of schools serving less than 25% students identified as minorities reported having one or more special education teacher vacancy; by contrast, 28% of schools serving more than 75% students identified as minorities reported having one or more special education teacher vacancy (School Pulse Panel, 2024).

In schools serving more students experiencing poverty, the percentage of special education teachers with no teacher preparation is five percentage points higher than in schools serving more affluent students (Mason-Williams, 2015). There is also a seven percentage point gap, favoring schools serving more affluent students, in the percentage of certified special education teachers in higher vs. lower poverty schools (Mason-Williams, 2015).

Read also: Find Remote Special Education Jobs

Addressing the Multifaceted Causes of Shortages

The causes of special education teacher shortages are complex and require comprehensive solutions at the local, state, and federal levels. There is no single solution to ensure all students with disabilities have access to a qualified teacher. Addressing special education teacher shortages is essential to ensuring that special education results in better outcomes for students with disabilities.

1. Strengthening Teacher Preparation Programs

Teacher preparation programs are crucial in ensuring an adequate number of new special education teachers enter the field and in shaping where they teach. Evidence indicates that student teachers are more likely to choose to teach in the district where they completed student teaching (Krieg et al., 2016). Supporting student teachers can increase the likelihood that a district is able to recruit qualified personnel to fill open positions. Parents can engage with their local special education parent advisory councils to advocate for the district to build and maintain relationships with local teacher preparation programs.

2. Recruiting New Individuals into Special Education

Increasing the supply of special education teachers is critical to eliminating shortages. Federal, and in some cases state and local, programs may be available to help defray the costs of higher education to help recruit new individuals into the field. Many universities have begun offering teacher residency, “grow your own” programs, and other “earn as you go” programs geared toward career changers and other non-traditional university students (Edwards & Kraft, 2024; Truwit et al., 2024).

For students currently in college or considering getting a graduate degree to teach special education, the TEACH loan is a great option. A “service loan payback” program, it provides individuals pursuing a career in special education teaching (or other hard-to-staff fields) with up to $16,000 in federal loans to pay for college in exchange for teaching in a qualifying school for four years.

Indiana’s licensing assistance program is one approach to solving the teacher shortage. Indiana’s program helps address the problem’s pipeline side, inviting more people to become licensed new teachers. The federal government and states also could do more to knock down financial barriers to becoming a special education teacher, said Julian Vasquez Heilig, the director of the Network for Public Education, an advocacy group, by offering more scholarships, stipends, and loan forgiveness. Investing in the expansion of “grow your own” initiatives, which often produce too few teachers to change overall staffing levels, could also help.

Jonathan Butcher, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said the federal government could elevate examples of states like Indiana, which created a program that pays for licensed teachers to go back to school to get their special education license and condenses their coursework. The pandemic aid-backed program has produced over 600 licensed special education teachers since 2021 and has become a go-to strategy for some districts to fill vacancies.

Grow-Your-Own programs are successful in transitioning paraprofessionals, or others with education experience, into SET roles. These programs provide direct and indirect support, such as tuition assistance, textbooks, stipends, virtual support, and recruitment sessions. Paid residencies or registered apprenticeship programs offer another effective pathway into special education teaching. These programs, such as the residency program at Virginia Commonwealth University, provide aspiring special education and other teachers with paid clinical experience, allowing them to gain practical skills while completing their education. Supports for provisional licensees can play an important role.

National University’s online degrees make it easier than ever to pursue a career in education.

3. Improving Working Conditions

Working conditions are a key factor contributing to higher special education teacher attrition (e.g., Billingsley & Bettini, 2019). Working conditions are the balance between the responsibilities special education teachers are assigned and the resources (e.g., time, materials, collegial support) they have to fulfill those responsibilities (Stark et al., 2023). When special education teachers experience heavy responsibilities without sufficient resources to fulfill all responsibilities well, they are more likely to feel stressed, overwhelmed, and burned out, and thus more likely to plan to leave their jobs (Bettini, Jones et al., 2017; Bettini, Cumming et al., 2020; Brunsting et al., 2022).

Parents can work with their local special education parent advisory council to ask the district for data on special education teachers’ working conditions. Caregivers may also be able to directly impact the working conditions experienced by special education teachers in their local community. Several studies have indicated limited planning time makes it challenging for special education teachers to feel effective, contributing to their stress and potential burnout (e.g., Bettini, Cumming et al., 2020; Brunsting et al., 2022). Volunteers able to spend time assisting with tasks (i.e., making copies, cutting out pictures, making flashcards, etc.) could help alleviate some of that stress and help improve the working conditions.

Unsustainable workloads are one of the primary drivers of burnout in special education. Adequate classroom support for both special education teachers and students is key. An improved work environment can significantly impact special education teachers’ attrition and burnout rates. Live synchronous solutions through Elevate K-12 can relieve in-classroom teachers so they can focus on supporting inclusion, individual intervention, progress monitoring, and IEPs. Elevate K-12 offers in-classroom instructors extensive support by taking some of the live instruction responsibilities off their shoulders. Their instructors can handle lesson planning and adaptation to accommodate various student needs. This includes planning activities to foster better student engagement and modifying assignments and assessments as needed based on individual student needs.

Create a positive and inclusive work environment where special education teachers feel supported, valued, and respected. Ensure that special education departments have appropriate staffing levels to manage caseloads effectively. Provide ongoing professional development and training opportunities that address the unique challenges and needs of special education teachers. Regularly assess and monitor the workload of special education teachers to prevent overwhelming work demands. Foster strong partnerships with parents and families of students with disabilities. Ensure that special education teachers have access to supportive services such as counseling or employee assistance programs (EAPs). These services can provide mental health support, counseling, or stress management resources for teachers experiencing burnout or high levels of stress. Regularly recognize and appreciate the hard work and dedication of special education teachers. Maintain open and transparent communication channels with special education teachers. Promote self-care and wellness practices among special education teachers. As leaders, special education directors and superintendents can advocate for policy changes and system improvements that positively impact special education teachers.

Positive school climates, effective mentorship programs, school-university partnerships, and strong administrative support are crucial factors that contribute to teacher retention. Improving working conditions by providing more relevant professional learning experiences, increasing uninterrupted planning time, and enhancing support systems can mitigate burnout. Reducing workload, particularly non-instructional duties, is also essential.

4. Enhancing Leadership Preparation

Improving working conditions will require leaders who are knowledgeable about special education and special education teachers’ work (Billingsley et al., 2020). Yet most school leaders report limited preparation for or knowledge about how to lead special education (Roberts et al., 2017; Rodl et al., 2017; Stelitano et al., 2019). Most principal preparation programs require principals to learn legal foundations of special education - but do not require them to learn about effective practice or how to support special education teachers to engage in effective practice (McHatton et al., 2010). With state and national advocacy groups, parents can advocate for improved preparation for school leaders, specifically regarding effective practices and how to organize the school to foster use of effective practices for students with disabilities.

5. Providing Financial Incentives

Financial incentives, such as annual bonuses for special education teachers, can induce qualified general education teachers to consider switching into special education teaching positions, thereby reducing the number of special education positions that are vacant or that are filled by unlicensed personnel (Theobald et al., 2025). This solution is especially attractive, as some evidence indicates that educators with both special and general education licensure are more effective in promoting positive student outcomes (Goldman & Gilmour, 2021). Such bonuses can be offered at either the district or state level.

Competitive salaries are another invaluable tool for attracting and retaining qualified special education teachers. In generally hard-to-staff positions, higher pay and bonuses can improve recruitment and retention. Mississippi implemented a historic salary increase, giving teachers an average 12% raise. Mississippi implemented a National Board Certification Incentive, providing an additional $6,000 annual salary supplement for certified teachers. The Mississippi Department of Education initiated the Mississippi Teacher Residency program to boost the recruitment and retention of teachers in special education. The program provides a full scholarship to all residents who, upon program completion, receive a master’s degree in Elementary and Special Education and commit to teaching in an underrepresented area for at least 2 years. Financial Incentives and Loan Forgiveness can make a difference. Financial incentives such as retention bonuses have proven effective.

6. Mentorship and Support Programs

New York invests heavily in mentoring programs. In their professional development plans, districts are required to include a well-developed mentoring program for first-year teachers and school leaders with their local needs in mind. Additionally, the legislature allocates $2 million annually for the Mentor Teacher Internship Program, a competitive grant providing supplementary 5-year funding to districts for implementing rigorous mentorship structures. The New York State Master Teacher Program, initially launched in 2013 to build and inspire K-12 STEM teachers, provides experienced educators with peer mentoring and subject-specific professional development. Mentorship is vitally important, especially for new teachers. Effective mentorship provides comprehensive support, helping new SETs integrate into the profession and persist. Structured support for early-career teachers has been shown to improve retention and job satisfaction.

Innovative Approaches and State Initiatives

Notably, any single approach to addressing retention and recruitment will likely be insufficient. Instead, states and districts will need to take multi-pronged approaches to improving the special education workforce. For example, Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education is implementing accelerated certification programs, mentoring programs, and learning communities, in addition to other activities, to address recruitment and retention of special education teachers and other special education staff.

States and districts are following Hawaii’s lead and providing bonuses for special education teachers (Leslie, 2024; Oregon Department of Education, 2024). Pennsylvania and Georgia are creating robust mentoring systems to support special education teachers in the classroom (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2024).

The Role of Parents and Caregivers

Caregivers may find themselves in a position where staff shortages directly impact the services their child should receive. Caregivers may need to partner with schools to think creatively about finding staff to deliver services. For example, IEP teams may need to consider the use of virtual services or contracted service providers if the district is lacking the personnel required to provide specialized instruction or related services included on an IEP. Throughout the history of special education, parents have been crucial advocates for systemic change, helping to create and ensure continuation of special education as a federal civil right. Parents can be local advocates for special education and share information about programs that support entry into a special education teaching career.

Addressing Systemic Issues

Special education teacher shortages exist due to systemic problems, and addressing them at scale will require systemic change. The Department of Education’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) freed up funds to address the educator shortage, encouraging training and retention. Numerous factors contribute to the shortage, and holistic, lasting change has been elusive for decades. There’s no easy fix for a problem that’s been around for over 40 years.

Virtual Teaching Solutions

LIVE synchronous teaching is one exciting example. Elevate K-12 provides certified teachers who livestream teaching directly into classrooms in real time. Geographic limitations also contribute to the teacher shortage problem. However, when teachers can teach from anywhere, as long as they meet the district’s state certification requirements, it eliminates this zip code problem. Elevate’s Special Ed LIVE program reduces the load on in-classroom teachers and paraprofessionals, giving them more bandwidth for personalized instruction, IEPs, and more.

A Call for Long-Term Solutions

Overcoming the long history of teacher shortages in special education will require substantial investments of attention, time, and resources. Though the proliferation of news stories about special education shortages can be disheartening, it is notable that many states and districts are now working more proactively to recruit and retain special education teachers than they have in the past.

The teacher shortage crisis requires a multifaceted approach; other states’ approaches provide valuable insights. State policymakers and system leaders are encouraged to invest in long-term solutions.

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