School districts face many challenges when hiring Special Education teachers and paraeducators. Washington state auditors recently investigated these challenges and described actionable solutions. The strategies in their report focus on finding and keeping qualified special education staff.
Solutions
1. Promote manageable workloads.
- Cap Special Education staff caseloads.
- Provide staff support to help with administrative work.
2. Make workplaces more supportive.
- Develop other staff’s understanding of Special Ed to make workplaces more supportive.
- Provide mentors for Special Ed teachers.
- Get grants to fund mentor programs.
3. Offer incentives.
- Increase pay for staff shortages.
- Reward Special Ed teachers who stay for several years.
- Pay for tuition or forgive debt for Special Ed teachers.
4. Create pathways into the profession.
- Work with colleges to develop new pathways to becoming a Special Education teacher.
- Find grant funding for those alternative pathways.
- Recruit people interested in becoming Special Education teachers.
5. Take advantage of the recent change for teachers with out-of-state licenses
- Educate the community, and help school districts take advantage of a 2024 change allowing certain out-of-state endorsements and teaching certificates.
More information
More information is available in the full report, which explores problems and solutions related to recruiting and retaining Special Education staff.
Take action
You can help by supporting one or more of the solutions from the report. The Seattle Special Education PTSA advocates for policies and laws that benefit students, families, and staff who are in the Special Ed community.
