The shortage of special education teachers in North Carolina is a pressing issue that affects both educators and students; it is leading to increased stress on current teachers and compromising the quality of education for students with disabilities. To create an educational environment that allows all students to thrive in North Carolina, we need to attract and retain qualified teachers. It is not just about filling an empty job position; it’s about creating an environment where both teachers and students can come together and thrive.
Introduction
At Holly Grove Elementary School in Wake County, a teacher split her time between two special education classes because they couldn’t find a teacher to cover the other class for five months. An NC Health News article captures the anxiety experienced by the mother of one of the children. In an email to Catherine Truitt, the state superintendent of public instruction at the time, the mother wrote:
“I am concerned that the mandated services in my son’s [individualized education program] are not being delivered in this environment. This is a group of students who need a certified special educator to lead their day. I’m curious about what is being done at the government level to end this teacher shortage. I heard about a $1,200 sign-on bonus, but frankly, that number is missing a zero. Our children deserve better than this.”
This mother’s concern mirrors a larger issue occurring in North Carolina: a shortage of special education teachers. In this article we will talk about this issue, framing what special education teachers do, the shortage we are facing in North Carolina, why this is a crucial issue, and community-led ways we can begin to address this problem.
What Do Special Education Teachers Do?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a special education teacher works with students with a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. George Fox University explains how special education teachers work collaboratively with a team to design individual education plans (IEPs) and monitor learning progress. Duties of special education teachers include:
- Communicating their plans with the families of students
- Providing instruction that fits students’ needs
- Participating in frequent student observations
- Overseeing the work of paraprofessionals (sometimes called instructional aides or teacher assistants) with the students
- Case managing student eligibility, learning progress, and individual education plans
Special education evolved alongside the concept of Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). This describes the legal right that every student with a disability has to receive a free public education. FAPE ensures that students with disabilities receive special education and related services at no additional cost to their families. The U.S. Department of Education explains how the “appropriate” component of FAPE means that the education provided must be designed to meet the individuals' educational needs that were determined through evaluation and placement procedures. FAPE is the foundation for special education and a major reason special educators are in K-12 educational institutions.
The Shortage
The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education clarifies how the supply and demand for fully qualified special education teachers has ebbed and flowed for nearly 30 years, with demand consistently outpacing supply nationally. EdWeekly described that data from the EdWeek Research Center survey showed that, compared to the 2021-2022 school year, 62 percent of principals and district leaders said it was more challenging in the 2023-2024 school year to fill special education teaching openings in their district or school. Additionally, data shows that 21 percent of public schools were not fully staffed in special education at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. The School of Education at American University provides context for the issue in the United States, explicating that special education teachers leave teaching at almost double the rate of general education teachers and more than half of all school districts struggle to staff well-qualified special educators.
According to a report by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, a little over 13 percent of all North Carolina public school students receive special education services, with some counties having much higher concentrations of students with disabilities. Funding for special education is capped at up to 13 percent of a school district or charter school’s student population. Meaning, that if a district exceeds this percentage, they do not receive additional funds. EdNC speaks to how North Carolina has been identified as a state that needs assistance with special education programs. VocoVision recognizes that raising a child with special needs requires a “supportive community equipped with the right resources, services, and support systems.” Therefore, they released the Best States for Special Needs report where they ranked all 50 states based on seven critical factors for raising children with special needs including:
- Special education and health services
- Physical accessibility
- Bullying prevalence
- Community support
- State spending.
With this index, North Carolina ranks in the 10 worst states for raising children with special needs, coming in 48th overall.
A contributing factor has to do with the shortage of special education staff in schools across the state. State data shows that 1,200 special education teacher positions were vacant or filled by unqualified teachers in the fall of 2023, which is about three times the number of vacancies since 2018. With a lack of professionals who are uniquely qualified to address students’ specific needs, Emily Walkenhorst, a WRAL education reporter, explains how this shortage is leaving schools in North Carolina vulnerable to state scrutiny over whether they’re following special education law. For example, recently, NC DPI found a Wake County elementary school violated state and federal law when it “failed to provide special education services via a certified special education teacher.” Terri Schmitz, a fourth-grade teacher at Swift Creek Elementary School in Garner, spoke about how she was asked to provide special education services to three students last year, despite not being certified in special education.
According to research done by EdNC, 75 percent of educators feel their school’s special education teacher pipeline is stressed. Some of the concerns from NC teachers show the real effects of the special education teacher shortage in the state, stating things like how, “midyear replacements are a unicorn,” “more EC teachers are desperately needed,” and “we are stressed and do not feel effective.” Teachers across the state are taking on the additional stress and load of this growing problem.
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Stress on Special Education Teachers and Its’ Effects on Students
The shortage of special educators is not just a workforce issue: it is putting immense stress on current special education teachers while also hurting our student's ability to access appropriate education. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction put forward guidelines for class sizes across preschool, elementary, middle, and high school. While these caps are in place, adhering to them can be challenging for special educators due to teacher shortages, limited resources, and administrative support. Special education teachers can be in a room without an aide trying to teach 20 students with different customized instructions.
In addition to this, special education teachers are under federal laws and expectations of paperwork that needs to be filled out within certain time frames, testing that needs to be done, meeting with parents that need to be had, etc., which can add to making the workload exhaustive and overwhelming. In partnership with the Education Writers Association Reporting Fellowship program, EdNC researched the educator workforce in NC, specifically focusing on special education, or exceptional (EC), teachers. Through her research, she found that these are some of the changes special education teachers wish to see:
- Reduced caseloads;
- More time during the school day for paperwork;
- Lower teacher-to-student ratios allow for more individualization;
- More resources to support beginning teachers lead to lower turnover and more stability in the workforce.
Special education teachers also receive low pay accompanied by insufficient support and professional development to maintain morale and feel motivated through tough patches. Elizabeth Bettini, an associate professor of special education at Boston University who studies educators’ workplace perceptions acknowledged that, aside from filling the gap in the shortage of special education teachers, we need to address the conditions that lead to teachers leaving:
"Generally, school is not oriented around students with disabilities. It’s not oriented to meet their needs; therefore, it’s not oriented around the needs of the teachers who are serving them. That leaves them kind of back ending a lot of services and supports.”
On the student's side, the School of Education at American University explains:
“The ongoing special education teacher shortage compromises the entire public school system and tarnishes the profession’s reputation. It creates instability, limits student’s learning opportunities, and results in countless hours of lost instructional time. Additionally, the fact the shortages disproportionately affect marginalized students widens the achievement gap.”
A recent WRAL News article speaks to how North Carolina parents of children with disabilities are worried their children are being short-changed by being left to “learn from people not trained to understand their disabilities or modify instruction for them, risking whether those goals are met and making it more difficult for them to advance in the public school system.” Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) summarizes that without access to qualified special education teachers, students with disabilities are not receiving the services they need to succeed in school through a lack of intensive, individualized instruction. The teacher shortage continues to hurt the educational value and future of North Carolina’s children.
What Can We Do?
First and foremost, we need to ensure we are developing environments where special education teachers can feel supported and heard themselves. Since special education teachers take on a job where they are often under resourced, we need to come together to show we value their hard work and time. Above all else, raising awareness and educating the public about why special education matters is essential. Garnering public support and understanding involves educating the public about the challenges and success of special education. Part of how we can do this is through the power of stories, such as those shared through the Shine on NC initiative, the Institute’s partnership with StoryCorps Studios. We need special educators, general education teachers, and families to contribute their voices around matters like what challenges they are facing, what changes would make the most meaningful impact, and what has been their biggest concern around special education. When we can gather these insights, we can put people to exemplify the data and aspire to meet the diverse needs of communities across the state around special education. Fostering a greater understanding of these services can build more supportive communities.
Some other ways we can make a difference and educate communities on the importance of elevating special education teachers and services in counties across North Carolina include:
- PTAs advocating for additional resources for special education programs. In fact, the National PTA speaks to how communities may want to provide opportunities for families with children who have special needs to meet with other parents in similar circumstances through the development of Special Education PTAs (SEPTAs). The National PTA explains:
“Many SEPTAs start out with a general topic like understanding your child’s IEP or 504 plan, the rights of your special needs child, and parent’s rights under IDEA.”
When parents and the community feel equipped with the tools and knowledge to support their children, they can advocate for more teacher support. SEPTA Fairfax County clarifies that SEPTAs also provide opportunities for parents, professionals, and educators of students with special education and disability needs to:
- Connect with and support one another
- Fund, sponsor, and provide special training, workshops, and events unique to special education needs
- Understand and navigate the special education system and special education and disability rights under the law.
In conjunction with their local PTAs, this is a way for communities to get behind in increasing access and quality of special education services.
- Collaborative planning between special education and general education teachers. Teachers of all levels and specialties can use additional support. In this case, collaboration can lead to more seamless instruction for students and lead to fewer holes in curriculum delivery and individual needs being met. Edutopia talks about how special education teachers should work closely with general teachers to ensure that those receiving support aren’t singled out. The idea is expanded by saying teachers can support each other through ongoing dialogue and regular check-ins.
- Community members attend school board meetings, town halls, and legislative sessions. Community involvement and collaboration elevate vital services. By attending school-related convenings, community members can stay informed and advocate for increased funding, resources, and policies that support special needs students and educators alike. Tackling issues like fully funding the state’s special education needs, raising teacher salaries or providing incentives, and encouraging holistic integration of resources and supports requires community buy-in. Virginia PTA highlights the need for people to attend school board meetings, speak up at school board meetings and town halls, and invite elected representatives to attend PTA meetings to hear the parent and teacher concerns.
Conclusion
The shortage of special education teachers in North Carolina is a pressing issue that affects both educators and students; it is leading to increased stress on current teachers and compromising the quality of education for students with disabilities. To create an educational environment that allows all students to thrive in North Carolina, we need to attract and retain qualified teachers. Community involvement can be a part of the solution. Through advocating for better funding and resources, attending school board meetings, and creating groups like SEPTAs to support and educate the public, everyone can all work together to ensure that every child receives the education they deserve. It is not just about filling an empty job position; it’s about creating an environment where both teachers and students can come together and thrive.
If you have any questions or comments about the content in this Lightbulb Moment article, please get in touch with our Research Lead, Madeline Attianese, at mattianese@chsnc.org.
