Where are all the teachers? And how do I manage this crisis as a leader?
Q: Everyone talks about the teacher shortage, but how does it specifically affect me as a special education leader? (Besides the obvious)
A: The special education teacher shortage isn't just a staffing problem, it fundamentally transforms your special education leadership role in ways that most people outside special education don't fully understand. Let me break down the real impact on special education administrators.
The Scope of the Special Education Staffing Crisis
The special education teacher shortage persists into 2025, signaling deeper systemic issues beyond typical workforce fluctuations (SLP Now, 2025). Nearly all states reported special education staffing shortages in 2023-24, and more than a third of public schools operated short-staffed in special education during 2024-25 (Brookings Institution, 2024; Education Week, 2025).
But here's what makes this particularly challenging for you as a special education director: this isn't just about empty positions. It's about the cascading effects on everything you're responsible for as a special education administrator.
How the Special Education Teacher Shortage Transforms Your Leadership Role
1. You Become the Safety Net
When special education teacher positions go unfilled, you're covering gaps. You're stepping into classrooms, managing caseloads, attending Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings that should be led by case managers, and providing direct services when no one else is available. Your strategic special education leadership work gets pushed aside for crisis management.
You might find yourself conducting Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs), coordinating related services such as speech therapy (SLP), occupational therapy (OT), and physical therapy (PT), or even providing direct instruction to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other disabilities.
This isn't sustainable, and it's not what you were hired to do as a special education director—but it's the reality when special education staffing is inadequate.
2. IDEA Compliance Risk Increases Exponentially
Every unfilled special education teacher position represents potential compliance violations. Students may not receive services outlined in their IEPs. Evaluation timelines get missed. Caseloads exceed manageable levels. And as the special education administrator, you're ultimately responsible for ensuring Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) compliance, even when you don't have the staff to deliver services (U.S. Department of Education, 2024).
The legal mandate to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) doesn't disappear when you're short-staffed. You're still accountable for ensuring every student receives the services specified in their IEP.
The stress of navigating this impossible situation as a special education director is immense.
3. Quality Suffers Despite Your Best Efforts
Research shows that the special education teacher shortage directly threatens students with disabilities' access to effective services they need to succeed (Learning Disabilities Association of America, 2024). As a special education leader, you're watching student outcomes suffer not because of poor instruction or inadequate programs, but simply because you don't have enough qualified special education teachers.
Students with complex needs—including those with ASD, multiple disabilities, or significant behavioral challenges requiring FBAs and behavior intervention plans—are particularly vulnerable when staffing is inadequate.
That's heartbreaking for any special education administrator, and it's not your fault—but you feel the weight of it every single day.
4. Special Education Teacher Retention Becomes Your Full-Time Job
Here's a troubling trend: schools aren't just struggling to recruit special education teachers—they're losing them to general education positions where demands feel more manageable (Education Week, 2025). This means you're not just filling new positions; you're constantly replacing special education teachers who leave for less stressful roles.
Your special education leadership focus shifts from instructional improvement and program development to recruitment, onboarding, and teacher retention efforts. You're spending more time on Indeed and at job fairs than on the strategic work that actually improves outcomes—like ensuring evidence-based practices are implemented or that IEP goals are meaningful and measurable.
5. Related Services Coordination Becomes Nearly Impossible
The shortage doesn't just affect classroom teachers. Finding qualified providers for related services such as speech therapy (SLP), occupational therapy (OT), and physical therapy (PT) is equally challenging. When you can't fill these positions, students don't receive the services mandated in their IEPs, creating IDEA compliance violations and denying students their right to FAPE.
6. Your Own Special Education Leadership Burnout Risk Skyrockets
When you're constantly in crisis mode, covering gaps, managing compliance risks, and watching quality suffer despite your heroic efforts, burnout becomes inevitable. The special education teacher shortage doesn't just impact teachers, it's burning out special education administrators too.
The Systemic Nature of the Special Education Staffing Problem
The persistence of the special education teacher shortage signals systemic issues: inadequate compensation, overwhelming workloads, insufficient support, and lack of recognition for the complexity of special education work (SLP Now, 2025). These aren't problems you can solve alone at the building or district level as a special education director.
What This Means for Your Special Education Leadership Development Needs
The special education teacher shortage makes specialized leadership training even more critical. You need:
Crisis management and triage skills to navigate chronic special education understaffing
Creative staffing models and service delivery options that maintain IDEA compliance with limited resources
Retention strategies specific to special education contexts
Expertise in IEP development and 504 plan implementation to provide guidance when staff is limited
Understanding of FBAs and behavior supports to assist when behavioral specialists aren't available
Knowledge of related services to coordinate effectively across disciplines
Self-care and sustainability practices to prevent your own special education leadership burnout
Advocacy skills to communicate needs to district leadership and policymakers
You're Not Failing, The Special Education System Is
If you feel like you're constantly putting out fires instead of leading strategically as a special education administrator, that's not a reflection of your leadership abilities. It's a reflection of a broken system that expects you to do the impossible with inadequate resources.
The special education teacher shortage isn't your fault, but its impact on your special education leadership is real and significant. You need support, innovative solutions to support teachers in ways that are truly meaningful to them, and resources that acknowledge this reality and equip you to lead effectively despite these systemic challenges.
For a deep dive in how to manage these stressors, contact Nikki at nikki@inclusiveleadershiplab.org for our new leadership cohort where we have a high-quality, standards aligned cohort of leaders addressing each and every one of these leadership challenges, together!
Citations:
Brookings Institution. (2024). States face different special education staffing challenges that require targeted responses.
Education Week. (2025). Schools have the special educators—but keep losing them to general ed.
Learning Disabilities Association of America. (2024). How the special education teacher shortage affects students with LD and what to do about it.
SLP Now. (2025). Solving the special education teacher shortage: 2025 and beyond.
U.S. Department of Education. (2024). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
📘 Quick Glossary:
IEP: Individualized Education Program
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education
LRE: Least Restrictive Environment
FBA: Functional Behavioral Assessment
ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder
504 Plan: Section 504 Plan for students with disabilities
Related Services: Supportive therapies including OT, PT, and SLP
