Where Are All The Special Educators?
The Future of Special Education Is Grim With High Turnover Rates
I fell in love with the Special Education field years back when I worked with teenagers with mental disorders. I love that Special Education is all about the students. So I decided I wanted to be more involved. I enrolled into a teaching program, spent my nights in school, took grueling tests (I still have nightmares of the RICA), and spent hours being observed on the field. I take great pride in the work that brought me here, my work in the classroom, and in supporting my students’ academic career.
But who is supporting me? Who is supporting the special educators in the classroom?
When there is a lack of support, funding, and resources, teaching in special education can become stressful, harmful to one’s health, and lead to high turnover rates.
Learning Policy Institute Report (2019) has found that special education teachers are leaving at higher rates than their general education peers. In just the past decade alone, the number of special educators dropped by over 17% across the nation (Samuels & Harwin, 2019). Yikes!
Like a ripple effect, I have felt and am still feeling the impact of these turnover rates in my school site.
