This week’s recommendation comes from:
Peter Compitello
ELA Fellow & NSI Project Manager
Pete says, “As a certified ELA educator and general special educator, I’ve always tried to be mindful about being inclusive in building a culture of collaborative and open communication across communities to try to create and improve just and equitable experiences and outcomes for both general and special education students and teachers. Given that students of color are disproportionally represented in the special education category (people of color comprise almost 85% of our special education students yet are on average less than 30% of our national student population), this article gives a good overview of why this conversation is currently both so difficult, and so very important.”
Yes, There’s a Shortage of Special Education Teachers. And That’s Nothing New
Beth Hawkins
“Because of the difficulties of remote learning and COVID’s brutal impact on student well-being, the factors that are thought to drive turnover among special educators likely compounded during the pandemic, which may have driven resignations and retirements that have yet to show up in official statistics.” – Beth Hawkins, senior writer and national correspondent at The 74
This article by The 74, a non-profit, non-partisan news site covering education in America, looks at some reasons why there is a shortage of special education teachers, including additional educational requirements, responsibilities, and lack of inclusion. Read on to learn more about this problem and what it means for schools.