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Special Education Teachers: The Time Is Now

According to ABC News, on September 30th, 2019, President Donald Trump signed the

Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act into law, allocating

$1.8 billion in funding over the next five years to help people with autism spectrum disorder. The

Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, claims that the autism rate is on the rise (1).

At least 1 in 59 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism compared to 1 in 150 in

2000 (“Autism Speaks”, Sec. 3). Despite startling numbers of increasing diagnosis, the United

States is lacking the teachers needed to adequately assist its youth. Although society has made

ample progress in aiding the special education community over the past few decades, educator

shortages, high teacher turnover, and an increasing number of students diagnosed with

disabilities all lead to one conclusion: special education teachers are needed now more than ever.

Many believe that the United States should continue to develop this field, adding resources that

are readily available for students, teachers and parents. Additionally, more funding and

incentives should be offered for those entering the special education field.

Math, Science, and Special Education teacher, Franca Vella (0:05-0:14) explains that

today, any student with a disability holds the right to special education services in addition to the

right to free public education. However, in his video, Vella (0:35-0:40) further elaborates this has

not always been the case. Vella (0:40-0:50) states that these services have been granted through

the help of several advocacy groups typically made up of parents of special needs students.

Members of the community pushed legislation, forced the public to face the issue at hand, and

put pressure on local and state politicians. According to Vella (1:05-1:15), back in the 1800’s,
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most SWD, or students with disabilities, did not attend schools. Fifty years later, however, there

was a growing number of isolated schools for SWD primary in rural districts (1:28-1:37). Due to

scientist Francis Galton’s spread of the idea of eugenics, or the sterilization of disabled

individuals, Vella (1:50-1:58) claims progress with SWD took a step in the wrong direction

during the 1880’s. More and more students with disabilities were placed in institutions, many of

which provided conditions similar to that of a prison (1:50-1:58). Headway was made in the

1920’s with the rise of special needs students in public schools, despite being in separate classes

and separate rooms (2:00-2:06). Some argue that the 1970’s was where special education truly

started because laws were put into place for special education students and Public Law 94-142

was passed as the foundation for special education (2:15-2:30). Passing almost 30 years ago, the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, granted students the right to the general

education curriculum marking the beginning of the modern push towards inclusion in the

classroom (2:15-2:30). “Over the years, public perceptions towards disability have significantly

varied,” claims Special Needs Education Professor, Chomba Wa Munyi (2012). For example,

among the Greeks, the sick were considered inferior, according to Plato, and deformed offspring

would be sent off to “mysterious unknown places” (Munyi 3). Similarly, 16th century Christians

such as Luther and John Calvin “indicated that the mentally retarded and other persons with

disabilities are possessed by evil spirits” (Munyi 3). Flash forward to the 19th century, Munyi

(4) describes how many supporters of social darwinism opposed state aid to the poor and

otherwise handicapped. According to Munyi, these individuals reason that preservation of the

“unfit” would impede the process of natural selection and essentially mess up the selection of the

“best” or “fittest” (4). Today, students with special needs are recognized not as “prisoners,” or
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“evil,” but as human beings in society. Development in this field has dramatically increased, but

the United States needs to not only change its attitude towards SWD, but its policies, funding,

and educational systems as well.

After years of teacher lay-offs due to the Great Depression, many states across the nation

are suffering from a teacher shortage according to Leib Sutcher, Linda Darling-Hammond, and

Desiree Carver-Thomas, researchers for the Learning Policy Institute in their 2016 research

writing. A teacher shortage occurs when there is a lack of teachers in key subject areas. The

teacher shortage phenomena can have serious consequences on both teachers and students. Due

to a shortage in teachers, many schools have lowered their standards for new hires, allowing the

hiring of untrained teachers to meet the demands of students (Sutcher 1). When teachers are not

fully prepared to be in a classroom, or more specifically, in a special education classroom, it is a

disservice to students and teachers alike. Within the special education setting, there is such a dire

need to recruit teachers that often times, people get hired on with little to no experience and a

lack of proper education. Additionally, the teacher shortage is reportedly more common in high

poverty school districts, most likely due to a lack of funding as well as high-minority schools

compared to low-minority schools (Sutcher 2). The United States should offer better support for

the special education community within high poverty and high minority schools. Another study

by Ashley Thompson for her VOA Learning English piece gives reports saying that while less

than 10 years ago, many teachers were looking for jobs, in 2012, public schools were, instead,

seeking out teachers (1). Thompson additionally mentions that many current teachers are lacking

the training, experience, and official approval to teach that are necessary (1). Time and time

again, studies demonstrate the negative effects of the teacher shortage. Not only do students
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suffer from a lack necessary educators in the field, but teachers as well. In the absence of a

competitive job field, it is evident that teachers may get hired when they might not be prepared to

face the task they are given in their newfound job in education.

In 2012, the United States faced a shortage of 20,000 school teachers (Thompson 1). By

the 2017-2018 school year, the country was estimated to have a shortage of at least 110,000

teachers according to Thompson according to the not-for-profit, Washington-based Economic

Policy Institute, or EPI, reports (Thompson 1). The general teacher shortage is similar to deficits

seen across the United States regarding special education teachers and programs within all types

of school districts across the nation regardless of socio-economic status or diversity of

minorities. Jennifer Shea, Daily Herald correspondent, writes of one school’s struggles with

special education teacher shortages (1,2). One Chicago school, Lake County, is freezing

enrollment due to a shortage that “has put [the student’s] safety at risk,” according to teachers.

Additionally, board member Jason Lind states, “The teacher shortage has been in the making for

many years” and “many school districts are struggling to fully staff” (Shea 2). Special education

departments across the United States generally want what is best for both the students and the

staff. However, sometimes drastic measures like this one must be taken to maintain overall safety

for teachers and students. More special education teachers are needed to prevent measures like

this from being taken across the nation. The students and teachers of Lake County are just one of

many districts facing the devastation from teacher shortages. The author of this paper held an

interview with DeAnna Borr, a mother of an individual with a diagnosis that includes Autism

Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Intellectual Disability, and

Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Intellectual Disability (1). DeAnna’s son will be referred to as

“John” for the sake of confidentiality. John currently attends a school that is suffering from the

limitations of a school with a teacher shortage (1). John’s mother reports multiple instances in

which she feels her son’s teachers are overworked and undervalued (1). When asked why she

thinks there are teacher shortages in special education, DeAnna replied, “I think there are teacher

shortages because the teachers have a large amount of students with different abilities and it’s

difficult to meet all of their needs. They need more than one person to even begin to answer these

needs” (1). In other words, no two children are alike and each student needs their individual

needs to be met in a personalized way. There simply is no way for one teacher to meet the needs

of a classroom full of special education students, so often times special education teachers only

begin to scratch the surface of the potential his or her students possess. It is unreasonable to

expect this much from one teacher, therefore it is clear that more teachers are needed in this field.

Additionally, DeAnna speaks of the “amount of paperwork to keep up with the testing, the IEP's,

and the meetings” (1). Not only are special education teachers expected to manage the demands

of each student, but also the weight of overwhelming pressures from district requirements. With

a workload like this, how can we expect teachers to do what they genuinely want to do: teach

special needs students. Another factor that contributes to the special education teacher shortage is

“the lack of support on behalf of administration officials,” as reported by Miss Borr. Many

teachers complain of minimal effort by principals and other admin figures in the schools. How

might the teacher attrition rate be affected if only special education teachers were offered more

moral, financial, and institutional support? This minute change could be the difference between a

good special education teacher of many years deciding to stay or to go. If administrators could
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find a way to lessen the load of obligations put on special education teachers, these educators

could focus more directly on teaching the children.

The special education teacher shortage is beginning to be recognized and while some

actions have been taken to combat this issue, it is likely not enough. Recently, president of the

United States, Donald Trump tweeted saying, “Today, I was proud to sign the Autism CARES

Bill! We support research for Americans with Autism and their families. You are not forgotten,

we are fighting for you!” (1) Our president recognizes the growing need for these community

members and is making an effort to help. This was an enormous deal for those involved with the

special education community. This funding will back autism research and any autism related

support programs (ABC News 1). Additionally, the magazine’s news article (1) claimed the funds

will prioritize grants for rural and underserved areas who are in special need of assistance for

special education programs. This particular developmental disability is typically characterized by

social, communication, and behavioral problems in and outside of the classroom (ABC News 1).

However, this disorder is just one of many kinds and variations of disabilities faced by our youth

in education programs. Trump said, “"All children grow up and become adults, and children with

autism then lose their education services. But autism is a lifetime neurological disorder, and

adults with autism continue to need their services” (1). This not only applies to children with

autism, but also children with down syndrome, ADD, ADHD, and any other type of learning,

mental, or physical disability in children. The United States needs to change something to find

solutions in order to properly assist the varying needs of special education students and teachers.

If the United States cannot adequately support these children during the years they are actively
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involved in special education services, then how can it help the special needs community of the

United States further on in life.

Works Cited

“A Brief History of Special Education in the United States.” All Education Schools, 6 Mar.

2018, https://www.alleducationschools.com/blog/history-of-special-education/.

“Autism Prevalence 2018.” Autism Speaks. 16 Nov. 2019,

https://www.autismspeaks.org/science-news/cdc-increases-estimate-autisms-prevalence-1

5-percent-1-59-children.

“How One Special Education Teacher Battles Burnout.” All Education Schools, 8 Mar. 2018,

https://www.alleducationschools.com/blog/special-education-burnout-teacher-interview.

Courtade, Ginevra, and Browder, Diane M. Aligning IEPs to the Common Core State Standards

for Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities. Attainment Company, Inc, 2011.

Jost, Kenneth. "Learning Disabilities." CQ Researcher, 10 Dec. 1993, pp. 1081-104,

library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1993121000.Hansen, Brian. "Teacher

Shortages." CQ Koch, Kathy. "Special Education." CQ Researcher, 10 Nov. 2000, pp.

905-28, library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2000111000.

Borr, DeAnna. Personal Interview. 29 Nov. 2019

Marshall, Patrick. "Labor Shortage Debate." CQ Researcher, 21 Sept. 2018, pp. 777-800,

library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2018092100.
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Munyi, Chomba Wa. “Past and Present Perceptions Towards Disability: A Historical

Perspective.” Disability Studies Quarterly, vol. 32 no. 2, 2012, pp. 1

http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/3197/3068.

RealDonaldTrump. (Donald Trump). “Today, I was proud to sign the Autism CARES Bill! We

support research for Americans with Autism and their families. You are not forgotten, we

are fighting for you!” 30 Sept. 2019 7:18 PM.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/trump-signs-18-billion-autism-cares-act/story?id=660024

25.

Researcher, 24 Aug. 2001, pp. 633-56, library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2001082400.

"Special Education: Should special needs students be educated alongside general

educationstudents?" Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 7 Sept. 2007,

https://ezproxy.mssu.edu:3022/recordurl.aspx?ID=1979. Accessed 27 Oct. 2019.

Vella, Franca. “The History of Special Education.” Youtube, uploaded by Teachings in

Education, 8 Jul. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23Jes6PHzkk . Accessed 27

Oct. 2019.