The Supply and Demand of Special Education Faculty Members

Abstract

Faculty must be available to prepare sufficient numbers of new special educators. The supply of special education, doctoral-level faculty members who can prepare personnel to serve the nation's handicapped may, however, be insufficient to meet future needs. Surveys completed by special education department chairpersons and their faculties indicate that a considerable number of retirements will occur in the near future. The resulting openings, added to potential new positions created because of high demand for special education coursework, could result in many faculty vacancies, affecting in turn the preparation of personnel needed to provide quality services to the nation's handicapped children and youth and their families. The data collected in this pilot project justify efforts to amass a comprehensive data base on special education faculties and the personnel they train. In particular, data about special education doctoral level personnel, their numbers, and what roles they fill must be collected to determine whether the supply will meet future demands.