Why There’s a Special Education and STEM Teacher Shortage and What Can Be Done

Jahsha Tabron, the 2022 Delaware teacher of the year, taught special education for more than two decades and cherished what she called the “winning moments” of growth in her students.

“[Where] you have a nonverbal student who is now able to speak in simple sentences … that’s why you stay,” she recently told ABC News.

But Tabron, now Brandywine High School’s dean of students in Wilmington, Delaware, said her field can be a tough sell for future candidates.

“When we’re talking about why we don’t have a lot of people joining the profession, we’re looking at the immense workload that comes along with being a special education teacher,” she said.

Tabron’s concern about a staffing shortage is widely shared. A nationwide survey conducted by ABC News this school year found that much of the country doesn’t have enough educators – and that in many cases, districts suffer from a lack of subject matter experts, too.

Read the full article here.

Recent News

2024 was a year of bold strides and transformative collaborations at Beyond100K. Dive into our Year in Review to discover how our network is tackling the STEM teacher shortage, centering equity and belonging, and building momentum toward preparing 150,000 diverse STEM teachers by 2032.
In her latest article, our executive director and founder Talia, offers five actionable strategies to cultivate optimism, building on her exploration of how a shift from “what’s holding us back” to “what’s possible” can transform lives.
Beyond100K welcomes 41 new partners committed to diversifying STEM education and tackling the STEM teacher shortage nationwide.