More than half of schools indicated they began the school year with a shortage of special education staff, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
New data shows that schools across the country continue to suffer from a shortage of teachers trained to work with students with disabilities.
In August, 86% of schools nationwide reported they were having difficulty hiring teachers and 83% said they were having difficulty filling other positions such as classroom aides, transportation staff and mental health professionals.
Educators said vacancies for special education teachers were some of the most common, with 77% of schools describing these vacancies as “somewhat” or “very difficult” to fill.
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The findings come from published data this week by the National Center for Education Statistics that was collected in August from 1,319 K-12 public schools nationwide.
Schools reported that they have very few applicants for open positions and many of those who apply are unqualified.
Still, the report noted that things can go in a more positive direction. Last year, more than half of schools indicated they were understaffed at the start of the academic year, but this time, only 45% said the same.
However, when asked specifically about special education services, 63% of schools said they began the academic year short-staffed in that area.
«Although we see a somewhat smaller proportion of public schools entering the new academic year feeling understaffed, the data indicates that the majority of public schools are experiencing staffing challenges at the same levels as last school year,» he said Peggy G. Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics.
The federal government is working to address the special education staffing shortage, and the U.S. Department of Education recently announced a $35 million investment aimed at strengthening the workforce of teachers, administrators, related service providers, those in early intervention programs and university special education professors. prepare these specialists.
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