I am writing to bring attention to a critical issue affecting some of our most vulnerable students in our country: the shortage of qualified special education teachers. As you may know, many special education positions remain unfilled or are being filled by educators who are not fully qualified for these roles. During the 23-24 school year, 21% of special education teaching positions went unfilled nation wide. This results in a significant disservice to the students and places an immense burden on the staff who work in these classrooms.

The difference in workload and responsibilities between special educators and general educators is substantial. Special educators often work beyond their contracted hours, sacrificing time with their families to meet the demands of their jobs

This situation is particularly dire in self-contained classrooms that serve students with emotional disabilities, as well as in moderate and severe classrooms. Teachers in these settings are tasked with instructing multiple subjects daily, which requires significantly more preparation time compared to their general education counterparts. In addition to their teaching duties, they are also responsible for writing individualized education plans (IEPs) for each student on their caseload.

Despite these extensive responsibilities, there is no federal law requiring school districts to provide special educators with additional compensation for their extensive job duties or extra planning days. Most special educators receive only one planning period per day, which is insufficient for the amount of work required.

This is a serious issue that contributes to the high turnover rates in special education positions and the difficulty in filling these roles. Many talented educators leave these positions for others that offer the same pay with less workload.

I propose a couple of solutions to address this problem:

1. **Increased Compensation**: The state and federal government should provide funding and mandate that districts provide additional pay to special educators, particularly those in self-contained classrooms. This would help attract and retain qualified teachers for these challenging positions.

2. **Extended Contracts**: Special educators could be placed on a separate contract that allows for additional paid days dedicated to preparation and planning. Currently, many of us spend at least a week or two of unpaid time during the summer to prepare for the school year. Including these extra days in our contracts would not only provide fair compensation but also help alleviate the workload during the school year.

I urge you to consider this issue when discussing potential legislative changes. School districts do not always have the resources to pay educators more, and if they do, they often do not do so unless mandated to do so. Additionally, federal funds could be allocated for this purpose, leading to increased job satisfaction, reduced teacher burnout, and improved outcomes for our students.

This is no longer a local, regional, or state issue. This is now a national issue across the country. Many states are implementing incentive programs but only when forced to because they cannot fill positions in their districts.  Please act now!