There is a national shortage of Special Education teachers that is greatly affecting teachers and students. The number of Special Education teachers has dropped 17% over the past 10 years. From the 2015-2016 data there was one Special Education teacher for every 17 students. Not only has the number of teachers decreased but the sub pool for Special Education teachers is extremely small in most districts. The shortage of highly qualified Special Education teachers is having a major impact on the education of students with disabilities. Teachers are having to teach a larger number of students in addition to the mounds of Special Education paperwork. The shortage can be contributed to many reasons including funding issues and fewer individuals are interested in entering the teaching profession.
To read more about the how the shortage of Special Education teachers is affecting classrooms click the link below:
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/12/05/shortage-of-special-
educators- adds-to-classroom.html?cmp=SOC-EDIT FB&fbclid= IwAR1rvgbVVLB5WFtL9Bg_OVaTePH8xRvIpTA6AUa9blrAmrye34kL70mOtgY