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Special education

Special education teacher shortage creates opportunity for students

Nika Anschuetz
Waynesburg University

Noel Frye was smiling ear to ear. "Me graduate," she said, recalling her accomplishment.

The 20-year-old received her high school diploma this past spring. Her father, Bob Frye, told USA TODAY College that walking across the stage to accept her diploma as students, friends, family and teachers cheered her on was one of Noel's proudest accomplishments.

Frye has Down syndrome. She was one of the 6.4 million students ages 3 to 21 in 2012-2013 -- the last year numbers are available from the Institute of Education Sciences -- enrolled in special education programs. And her success, said her parents, was built on a skilled, caring teacher at her high school.

Jacqui Paxton, Noel’s special education teacher at Slippery Rock Area High School, in Slippery Rock, Pa. , created a fun and loving classroom environment, said Bob Frye. “Mrs. Paxton was a godsend. She loved Noel and Noel loved her.”

Teachers like Paxton are vital to the special education system, yet they're in short supply. For the 2015–16 school year, the U.S. Department of Education reported a shortage of qualified special ed teachers and personnel in 49 states. And this comes at time when more students than ever are in special education programs: The National Education Association reports that the number of students enrolled in special education programs has increased by 30% over the past decade.

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“This is a nationwide need,” said Michael Humphrey, Ed.D. chair of the Special Education Department at Boise State University in Idaho. “When we think of the highest need in teachers across the nation it’s special education, math and science.”

Boise State University in Idaho is one school looking for professionals with the right stuff via an innovative online program that places general ed teachers on a fast track to receive a master’s in special education. “Our calendar year goes from July to July,” said Humphrey. “It fits into people’s schedules because we put as much as we can into the summers.”

Special ed teachers are so in demand that those pursuing general ed might consider this: The certification makes them more marketable.

“There’s a desperate need for highly trained and highly qualified special education teachers in the work force," said Brian Uplinger, superintendent of Central Greene School District, a rural public school district in Green County, Pa. Despite the fact that Pennsylvania, according to the Dept. of Ed, is the only state without a special ed teaching shortage, the school still has problems filling positions in subjects like math. A job for a secondary special education math certified teacher, for  instance, has been posted many times, Uplinger said.

And Heather Christie, a high school secretary for Karns City School District, a rural public school in Butler County, Pa., said an added challenge is the need for substitute teachers; the school has had to use general ed teachers to fill in for a special ed teachers on numerous occasions.

While some teachers are certified, they lack a quality Uplinger said is important when teaching this population: passion. "Districts are looking for those individuals who are devoted to the students," he said. "Those kids are counting on you.”

Nicole Zimmel, a junior at Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, Pa., is one such student. Waynesburg offers a 5-year dual certification program where students can receive a M.Ed with a special education certification.

"I had no idea I would have a passion for special education,” said Zimmel. "I planned to pursue a career in general education, but my plan changed when I got a job at The Woodlands Foundation, a retreat center for individuals with disabilities."

At The Woodlands Foundation Zimmel worked with adults, young adults, and children with disabilities, and found her calling. "I really love to work with them,” said Zimmel. “They’re just so appreciative and they show you this unconditional love.”

But students who plan to pursue special education should know the turnover rate is high. According to the National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special Education and Related Services, the rate is nearly double that of general education teachers. The turnover rate (12.3%) for special education teachers according to the National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special Education and Related Services is nearly double the rate of general ed teachers.

Extra paperwork, longer days, and lack of support are just some of the factors that contribute to this, reported NPR.

Additionally, special ed classes have other challenges, including the fact that each class often contains a variety of disabilities, and the growing trend of inclusive classrooms -- or classes that have both general ed and special need students -- creates a corresponding need to help all students adapt to each other.

"Special ed teachers (are) like the firefighters, marines and special forces of education," said Humphrey. "They need to teach the hard to reach and difficult to teach."

Alyssa Tyson is a teacher at a school for students with special needs in Sewickley, Pa., called the Watson Institute. She teaches  students in grades one through seven. Tyson said her job comes with additional paperwork and can sometimes be exhausting, but that watching her students make even small gains is worth it.

“My kids have changed my life more than I ever thought anyone could,” said Tyson. “It’s a very challenging profession but the reward outweighs the challenges. You get to see kids develop in slow motion. You get to appreciate and praise the small steps in developments.”


This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.

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