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It's no secret that the dearth of special education teachers has created huge headaches for district human resources departments, especially in suburban and rural areas. In addition to insufficient numbers of candidates applying for special education jobs, retention of special education teachers is an ever-greater problem, as research indicates that special ed teachers are two-anda-half times more likely to leave their jobs than teachers in other disciplines.
Although districts can’t wave a magic wand and produce massive numbers of special education graduates from universities in high-need areas, they do have tools to more effectively recruit and especially retain special educators. Creating a supportive school climate, providing mentors, and recruiting from within are three ways that districts can ease their problems.
Supportive School Climate
Money certainly is an issue in terms of retaining and recruiting special education teachers, but a supportive school climate and building administrator can play a more powerful role, according to research by associate professor Kathleen McCoy and lecturer Rebecca Gehrke of Arizona State University, who surveyed and interviewed veteran and beginning special ed teachers. “Overwhelmingly, the most important factor that was keeping them there as teachers was the support that they received from their principals,” McCoy says. Special education teachers appreciate principals who attend individualized education plan meetings and back them up in discussions with parents concerning discipline and interventions for students. “It’s very important for the teacher to feel that the principal will support her in the programs that have been developed, whether they are disciplinary or academic,” McCoy says.
"A lot of it has to do with being part of the school and the district and not separate and apart." -Diane Bruening, director of pupil personnel, Chandler Unified School District
“[The shortage] is often a result of rising caseload numbers and increasing expectations from district, state and national levels,” adds Meg Schnoor, director of special services at Huntley (Ill.) Consolidated School District 158. “Teachers cite feeling unsupported by their administrators, who often do not understand special education mandates. The administration may not necessarily view general education teachers as responsible for the achievement of special needs students, as they do with special education teachers. Combined, these issues lead to burnout of current staff or a lack of qualified applicants.”
Tackling that problem requires a variety of approaches, as the demands on special educators are growing. But in this era of tight budgets, districts should remember that salary is not the only method to solve their special education shortage problem.
TIPS TO SUPPORT SPECIAL EDUCATORS For Principals
Conduct a building orientation meeting for new special educators.
Provide opportunities for beginning special ed teachers to network with each other.
Provide release time for them to visit other classrooms.
Have a common prep time for the mentor and beginning special educator.
Delineate clear responsibilities.
Institute a system to communicate, which can be informal, such as talking between classes, or more formal, such as holding meetings and communicating via phone and e-mail.
Reduce extracurricular assignments, such as advising clubs or coaching. For Administrators
Supply information to teachers on procedures for ordering supplies and materials.
Assign a mentor.
Provide a list of district resources, such as audiovisual equipment and instructional materials they can use.
Provide information on the special education forms, including the process and timelines for completion. Source: The Recruitment and Retention Project, Teaching Research Division, Western Oregon University.
Studies show that “it’s less about money and it’s more about support,” says Luann Purcell, executive director of the Council of Administrators of Special Education. “And so the more administrative support you provide that teacher, the more likely they are to stay in the program.”
Support can be offered in many ways, says Purcell, who provided support through a chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children. The chapter met monthly while she and her administrative staff attended regularly. Teachers knew they would see their supervisors at the meeting. Purcell supported them by approving their participation in the organization’s state and national conferences budgeted through the federal special education dollars each year.
Other areas of administrative support help lessen special educators’ workloads. By not burdening special education teachers with extra duties, such as serving on committees or bus duty, principals can free up more time for teachers to plan lessons or other activities.
In addition to administrative leadership, making special ed teachers feel that they are part of the school is key, as many of them can feel isolated from other divisions on campus, McCoy says. “The more isolated the special educators feel, the less likely that the special educator will stay,” she says.
Diane Bruening, director of pupil personnel at Arizona’s Chandler Unified School District, agrees that when it comes to supporting and involving special education teachers in the school community, “it starts at the top.”
