A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER’S WILLINGNESS TO STAY IN THE “HARDEST POSITION TO FILL”

Abstract

This qualitative study examined perceptions of current special education teachers in one large school district outside a major metropolitan area and their willingness to stay in the field of special education. The number of fully certified special education teachers in U.S. schools has reached an all-time low. Special education teachers are more likely to leave the field within their first 3 years of teaching than ever before. An extensive literature review showed that there are three main reasons why special education teachers leave the profession: mental health/burnout, lack of induction, and role ambiguity. The purpose of this study was to explore why teachers chose to stay. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 special education teachers in elementary schools across one school district, of whom nine were veterans (10+ years of teaching) and 10 were novices (1-3 years of teaching), to determine how these educators made meaning of their own retention and how workplace relationships played a role in their retention. Three themes around teacher retention were deduced: a personal connection to education, support from administration, and relationships were found to be teachers’ most influential reasons for staying in the field of special education. Future research and implications for practice and research were suggested. Attrition rates have yet to subside, and this study provided a qualitative approach to understanding both novice and veteran teachers’ sensemaking for remaining in the field.