Supporting Special Education Teachers

Professional development in special education is directed at teachers, but ultimately students benefit as well. With the growing number of students eligible for special education, particularly in Dyslexia, all teachers need meaningful professional development. Since 2013, Texas has seen 37.59% growth in the number of special education students. Texas has shown the biggest increase in serving students with disabilities in the past 3 years. (Texas Education Agency, 2024). Continuous learning allows teachers to fill in their knowledge and skill gaps so they can better serve their students and ensure quality education.

It is becoming clear, however, that existing professional development models do not adequately support the complex work of not only special education teachers but all teachers (Woulfin & Jones, 2021). In turn, these issues affect student achievement.

Here we will discuss the challenges faced by special education teachers and suggest effective strategies for overcoming them with professional development.

There have been numerous articles written about the challenges special education teachers face (Gilmour, Nguyen, Redding & Bettini, 2023).  The task of teaching special education is complex, requiring both autonomy and collaboration. Teaching students who require special educations services involves specialized instruction and targeted assessment within a classroom environment. It also involves important preparation tasks such as grading and lesson planning as well as frequent collaboration with peers and keeping open communication with students' families or caregivers. Many special educators must fully understand both state procedures and federal law when collaborating to create meaningful educational plans. Their ultimate responsibility is advocating for and ensuring that the integration of students with disabilities into general education provides the necessary resources for student success.

The task of balancing the demands of the role with the numerous obstacles the field at large faces in special education makes it a challenging one. These challenges range from limited resources, inadequate educational preparation, challenging behavior to burnout and job dissatisfaction among special education teachers caused by difficult working conditions (Bettini et al., 2017). These challenges result in an ever-increasing high turnover rate, which is almost double that of general education teachers (Stock & Carriere, 2021). It is difficult for teachers and schools to provide individualized instruction meeting the standards set forth by IDEA because of each of these challenges, which significantly adds to the stress of an already overburdened profession.

Professional Development

As a result of the knowledge and prior experience of teachers, it is imperative for special education leaders to pursue meaningful, job embedded professional development.

It is also important to note that traditional special education programs often offer broad-based training across grades K-12, focusing on general instructional approaches and behavior management practices. Depending on the subject matter, this broad preparation may not provide sufficient content knowledge. Research indicates that special education teachers may struggle to provide appropriate content area instruction and may need additional support in certain areas. District and school leaders must develop robust training on not only special education regulations, but content knowledge and the specific skills required of an effective special education teacher.

Special education teachers have various professional development needs across contents and settings. District leadership must review district and campus data as well as analyze student achievement, classroom observations and feedback as well as any compliance data in order to set district, campus, and instructional goals. These goals must be individualized and specific, particularly with the increase of teachers entering the classroom through alternative means. It is only through teachers' skills that positive outcomes can be increased for all students.

Need support with analyzing school data and creating robust professional development plans? Reach out to our team for support!

Gilmour, A. F., Nguyen, T. D., Redding, C., & Bettini, E. (2023). The Shifting Context of Special Education Teachers’ Work. Remedial and Special Education, 44(3), 171–183.

Leko, M. M., Brownell, M. T., Sindelar, P. T., & Murphy, K. (2012). Promoting Special Education Preservice Teacher Expertise. Focus on Exceptional Children,

Stock, W. A., & Carriere, D. (2021). Special education funding and teacher turnover. Education Economics, 29(5), 443–460.

Woulfin, S. L., & Jones, B. (2021). Special development: The nature, content, and structure of special education teachers’ professional learning opportunities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 100, 10327.