The Special Education Shortage Is Growing With Enrollment, and Paperwork Can Be Crushing
There is a shortage of special educators in 45 out of 50 states, according to the Learning Policy Institute, an education research organization. The shortage is growing because the number of special education students is climbing: it is now more than 8.2 million, about 1 in 6 public school students. Bettini's research shows that special educators can feel isolated from other school staff and feel they have too many student needs to manage. The volume of required paperwork can be crushing, and these educators are often responsible for teaching across several subjects and grade levels.
Research shows burnout among all kinds of public school teachers is high, but it is even more acute for special educators.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
The shortage looks less like a pipeline problem than a job-design problem: isolation, too many student needs, crushing paperwork, and teaching across subjects and grade levels.
Fair, but the demand side matters too: more than 8.2 million special education students, about 1 in 6 public school students. You can improve the job and still need many more teachers.