Issues Regarding the Retention of Special Education Teachers With a Focus on the Principal's Role

Abstract

Recruitment and retention of special education teachers is a growing problem in the education field. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) from 2014, 50% of special education teachers will leave the education profession during their first five years of teaching. In order to strengthen school teaching teams, knowledgeable and qualified special education teachers must be recruited and retained by school districts (Henderson, 2014). This study explores factors that contribute to special education teachers' decisions to leave their positions, and the development of effective work environments that sustain the retention of special education teachers. The additional demand placed on special education teachers has increased such as caseload numbers, compliance deadlines, data collection, litigious cases, and intensive needs of the students. It is imperative for school districts and higher education institutions to increase the pool of highly qualified special education candidates with the skills and sense of support so they stay in the special education field. Findings from this convergent parallel research study have identified areas of improvement in the building administrator's role and strategies recommended for school districts to implement in order to increase their retention rate of special education teachers.%%%%Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management – Drexel University, 2017