In the fall of 2023, one in five public schools didn’t have enough special education teachers
A record number of kids are in special education, and the government is struggling to find teachers for them. As of 2022–23, 7.5 million students qualified for special ed.
The number makes up 15.2% of public school students, an increase from less than 13% a decade ago.
The rise in special education needs is due to several reasons. The pandemic has caused learning and behavior problems. Even parents are more willing to ask for help, and there are more autism diagnoses, according to the Wall Street Journal.
However, recruiting special-education teachers is tough, and federal funding has not kept up. In the fall of 2023, one in five public schools didn’t have enough special-ed teachers.
Additionally, the government promised to cover up to 40% of special-ed costs but has never met that goal.
The limited resources make it difficult for teachers to help students with learning disabilities.