# data[].attributes.body
This conference is on October 6-8, 2023 and is still taking registrations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This exciting new conference covers a wide variety of special education topics of interest to the classroom educator and resource professional. Sessions are peer-led to ensure you are learning from experienced educators while exchanging perspectives and networking with colleagues.

# data[].attributes.headline
NEA: Supporting Individuals with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.subject
NEA: Supporting Individuals with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
NEA supports the protections that all individuals with disabilities-both visible and invisible-are entitled to under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Individuals with disabilities include persons of all ages who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Although we don't think of asthma or diabetes as a disability, individuals with such medical conditions and other invisible disabilities deserve the same consideration and protection under federal law.

Students with disabilities may or may not be eligible for special education services, as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); however, those who are not eligible for special education services under IDEA are entitled to a free, appropriate education (FAPE) and are protected from discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The NEA supports a free, appropriate public education for all students with disabilities in a least restrictive environment (LRE), which must be determined by maximum teacher and parent/guardian involvement.

By working together, educators, students, families, and communities can help protect all individuals with disabilities from discriminatory practices and ensure that the necessary supports and services are provided so that all students receive a FAPE. As a champion of America's public schools, the NEA promotes solution-oriented advocacy, professional learning, and information to bring much-needed support and resources to students, educators, and their families.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting Individuals with Disabilities | NEA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NEA supports the protections that all individuals with disabilities-both visible and invisible-are entitled to under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
www.nea.org needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

# data[].attributes.body
SIA offers an opportunity to have an ADA Specialist go to your school and check that the school is compliant to ADA regulations. Bryan Moffitt, CASp-942 is the specialist was assigned to Elk Grove Unified School District and said you are welcome to connect with him about any questions you may have at bmoffitt@sia-jpa.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From playground accidents to improving mental health, our programs are designed to meet the challenges our members face every day.

Driven to meet the needs of our members.

Risk management and risk financing is only half of the support we provide. Our members' needs are our top priority, and that means we're committed to going above and beyond.

Benefits that protect our people as much as our assets.

There's a lot to Schools Insurance Authority, the most important being our members. They deserve the best of what we have to offer, from workplace injury prevention to maintaining safe and secure school environments.

Our Members

Resources, Trainings, Videos & More

Training

From workshops and trainings to Youtube and more

Checklists & Templates

Resources you need to ensure you stay compliant

Stay in the know.

At Schools Insurance Authority, we're working towards a better future for all of our members. Every day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From playground accidents to improving mental health, our programs are designed to meet the challenges our members face every day. Risk management and risk financing is only half of the support we provide. Our members' needs are our top priority, and that means we're committed to going above and beyond.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The NAD is the nation's premier civil rights organization of, by, and for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the United States of America.

# data[].attributes.body
This organization is helping pioneer inclusive spaces in performing arts. They have a handbook on their website for theatres, and educators to better implement practices to make their spaces access-centered.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The NDT Handbook is written for producing theatres, educators, and anyone who is interested in making their theatre practices more access-centered. Available in PDF, Word, and text-only HTML. Audio recording is coming soon.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The NDT Handbook is written for producing theatres, educators, and anyone who is interested in making their theatre practices more access-centered. Available in PDF, Word, and text-only HTML. Audio recording is coming soon.

# data[].attributes.headline
Recording Artists & Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD)

# data[].attributes.subject
Recording Artists & Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD)

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a New York Times article on the organization. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/20/arts/music/rampd-disability-culture-music-industry.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Eligendi, fugiat asperiores inventore beatae accusamus odit minima enim, commodi quia, doloribus eius! Ducimus nemo accusantium maiores velit corrupti tempora reiciendis molestiae repellat vero. ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
RAMPD | Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
RAMPD - Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.headline
National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD)

# data[].attributes.subject
National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD)

# data[].attributes.body
This is the only federally-funded national center in the U.S. with resources for college students with disabilities. University of Minnesota also does a lot of research on hearing, hearing loss, auditory implants, and pitch perception. Here is the link to their department. https://apc.psych.umn.edu/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome!

The NCCSD is the only federally-funded national center in the U.S. with information and resources for future and current college students with disabilities, including those in part-time programs and graduate students. We work with students, their families, teachers, professors, and anyone with questions about disability and higher education. We're here for you.

If you have difficulty accessing information on the NCCSD website, please contact us at nccsd@ahead.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The NCCSD is the only federally-funded national center in the U.S. with information and resources for future and current college students with disabilities, including those in part-time programs and graduate students. We work with students, their families, teachers, professors, and anyone with questions about disability and higher education. We're here for you.

# data[].attributes.body
They have extensive research in Autism, Fragile X Syndrome, Down syndrome, ADHS, and sometimes have in person events to check out.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to the UC Davis Mind Institute Home Page

# data[].attributes.body
JAN provides free, confidential technical assistance about job accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

# data[].attributes.headline
American Deafness & Rehabilitation Association

# data[].attributes.subject
American Deafness & Rehabilitation Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association (ADARA) is a national organization that brings together professionals from vocational rehabilitation, mental health, chemical health, education, interpreting, and related fields to share best practices in working with individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind to address policy and program concerns, and to network. Our goal is to improve the lives of those we serve while growing professionally. ​

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
american deafness and rehabilitation association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ADARA: Professionals Networking for Excellence in Service Delivery with Individuals who are ​Deaf and Hard of Hearing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You’re not alone in your journey through vision loss and blindness. American Council of the Blind (ACB) welcomes and accepts you. Guided by its members, ACB advocates for equality of people who are blind and low vision, inspires community, and connects you with education, resources, and each other t…

# data[].attributes.headline
American Association of People with Disabilities 

# data[].attributes.subject
American Association of People with Disabilities 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The American Association of People with Disabilities works to increase the political and economic power of people with disabilities.

As a national disability-led and cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for over 60 million Americans with disabilities. We do this by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The American Association of People with Disabilities is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Civil Rights Dept. : State of California

# data[].attributes.subject
Civil Rights Dept. : State of California

# data[].attributes.body
Discrimination Laws Regarding People With Disabilities

# data[].attributes.headline
CA Department of Ed: Laws, Regulations, & Policies

# data[].attributes.subject
CA Department of Ed: Laws, Regulations, & Policies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Laws, Regulations, & Policies - Special Education (CA Dept of Education)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Federal and state legislation, laws, regulations, policies, legal advisories, and guidance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Overview

Legislation, regulations, guidance, and other policy documents can be found here for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and other topics.

Please note that in the U.S., the federal role in education is limited. Because of the Tenth Amendment, most education policy is decided at the state and local levels. So, if you have a question about a policy or issue, you may want to check with the relevant organization in your state or school district.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)

WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act)

Regulations and Rulemaking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Legislation, regulations, guidance, and other policy documents can be found here for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) , and other topics. Please note that in the U.S., the federal role in education is limited. Because of the Tenth Amendment, most education policy is decided at the state and local levels.

# data[].attributes.headline
Individuals with Disabilities Ed Act (IDEA)

# data[].attributes.subject
Individuals with Disabilities Ed Act (IDEA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to the U.S. Department of Education's Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) website, which brings together IDEA information and resources from the Department and our grantees.

Whether you are a student, parent, educator, service provider, or grantee, you are here because you care about children with disabilities and their families and want to find information and explore resources on infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.

Thank you for visiting the IDEA website. If you have feedback regarding the site, please let us know on our blog.

IDEA Updates
View past IDEA Updates

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The U.S. Department of Education's Individuals with Disabilities Education Act website brings together department and grantee IDEA information and resources. The IDEA makes available a free appropriate public education to and ensures special education and related services to eligible children with disabilities.

# data[].attributes.body
This site has a lot of resources covering legislation, state budget, and public policy principles and more. They also have resources in self advocacy, where there are several languages to choose from including ASL. You can contact DRC at 1-800-776-5746, or TTY at:1-800-719-5798: available M-F, 9:00am - 4:00pm.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
DRC is a nonprofit agency. We are the largest disability rights group in the nation. Federal law established us to protect and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. We are the protection and advocacy agency for California.

# data[].attributes.headline
New Mobility: Wheelchair-Using Teachers Article 

# data[].attributes.subject
New Mobility: Wheelchair-Using Teachers Article 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I hadn't considered teaching until I found myself sitting next to the principal of my former high school in 2003. Less than a decade earlier, when I was a student, I was paralyzed in an accident leaving a school dance. Now I was the swim coach, sitting shoulder to shoulder with the principal at a team banquet, listening to her trying to convince me I would make an excellent teacher.

She had a lot of convincing to do. I was still figuring out life as a paraplegic, and the prospect of adding a new career alongside everything else I was trying to learn was daunting. That's not to mention the anxiety I felt being only a few years older than some of the kids she wanted me to teach. I shuddered when I pictured myself in front of a classroom full of ferocious barely-teenagers with hormones churning and minds blooming.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, fewer than 5% of all educators identify as disabled, so you can imagine how low the percentage is for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues.

Eventually, my principal won me over. I had loved coaching, and thought that being a teacher would tap into the same skills and passion for guiding others. Teaching naturally became my way to get students thinking about disability and other important social issues. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, fewer than 5% of all educators identify as disabled, so you can imagine how low the percentage is for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues.

We are out there though. I spoke with three other long-time teachers who use wheelchairs, to learn about their experiences and what the years seated at the head of the class have taught them.

More Than a Lesson Plan

There's no getting around the fact that as a wheelchair-using teacher, you have to teach about more than just your standard subject matter - you're also often a student's introduction to the realities of living with a disability.

Dayniah Manderson, 43, is a power wheelchair user with muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy, who teaches middle school in New York City. Over her 19-year career, she has found that her disability gives kids a way to understand and look at limitations differently. She aims to be a lesson in resiliency and hope for her students, and has found that most respect her for that. She uses her wheelchair and disability as a "teaching tool." Over the course of the school year her wheelchair slowly becomes the norm and her students begin to process the complexity of disability. "The appreciation usually comes years after, when my students are adults," she says. "That's when I hear how my role has impacted them."

Every teacher takes a slightly different approach to discussing their disability. Jeff Zerba, a manual wheelchair user and C6 quadriplegic, has been teaching high school health in Portland, Oregon, since 1991. Zerba says that when he starts a new school year, he won't talk about the fact that he uses a wheelchair, other than to say he'll tell them more later. For the first week or two of class, he wants their focus to be on class material. Once kids are in the flow of class and comfortable with his skills as a teacher, he'll talk about his disability. "I always give them a chance to ask questions," he says. "I make a big point that everyone's different and we all have our own stories. Whether you're in a wheelchair, what gender you are or how you identify - we're all dealing with different things. If you ask questions, learn about people's stories, maybe you'll understand their situation a little better."

Those conversations also open a door to talk about how things may operate a little differently in his class. Most importantly, his emails are going to be short and to the point. "I'm a terrible typer," he says with a laugh. Modern voice recognition software helps, but careful proofing takes too much time when you have more than a hundred students to get back to: There will be typos. The main thing he lets his classes know is that his grading takes a little longer than other teachers - be patient, and everything will be fine.

Patience works the other way too. Joe Jeremias, 52, a C6 incomplete quad in New York state, has been a teacher for 26 years, mostly at the high school level. He finds that kids can take some time to get comfortable with him. "They have questions about my chair and being disabled, and they beat around the bush, but eventually they get around to them," he says.

Jeremias has developed good responses to some of the more common questions he gets, and doesn't hesitate to use his disability in jokes and stories. Humor also comes in handy when dealing with groups of unruly kids. "Behavioral management from a seated position is not easy, so you have to be quick-witted," he says. A well-delivered line like "Don't make me get up and come over there," will often get their attention.

Instagram: @annasarol

Access and Attitude Challenges

Across the board, the teachers interviewed for this story brought up accessibility challenges and indifferent attitudes from school administrators as the biggest issues they faced. Jeremias remembers showing up for his first day teaching at a new school only to find an outdated, unstable elevator that clearly wasn't up to code. Twenty years later, that same elevator remains. "It's hard to fix something that is broken when nobody agrees on whether it is, or knows how to even approach a repair."

Zerba says that he spent the first 10 years of his teaching career without reliable access to a functioning elevator to get to his classroom. "I had to use a freight elevator. The doors were always locked, so I always had to find a custodian or have people carry me up or down the stairs. It was a huge pain in the butt, but we made it work," he says.

More than 30 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, access issues are still common. Some doors are too heavy for Zerba to open, or have latches difficult to turn and pull open at the same time. Recently, the school district installed gates around the school, and he had to advocate for a parking spot nearby plus an accessible way to unlatch the gates - which no one had even considered before he brought it up. "It's always something," he says.

Over the years, Zerba has learned how to be a more vocal advocate. "When I was younger, I was afraid to ask for certain things," he says. "Now that I've got some pull and I'm more comfortable, if something's not right, within reason I'll definitely advocate before things start to happen." By learning a balance of when to adapt and when to speak out, Zerba has been able to make teaching his career for more than 30 years.

It's an approach, though, that requires administrators who are willing to listen and act. Manderson has struggled for years with school districts and boards over accessibility and representation. She teaches in an old school that was built without accessibility in mind. Poor access combined with a lack of cultural sensitivity have worn on her.

She points to her administrator's hesitance to facilitate interactions between her and wheelchair-using students on the floor above hers. "I've asked, 'Can we have a jam session between these girls?' You know, because I think visibility makes a difference. But they just blow it off, like they don't think it's important. ... We never get to interact."

Manderson grew so frustrated by the lack of support she received that it caused her to question her own abilities. In March 2021, she filed a discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging the New York City Department of Education violated the ADA by repeatedly denying necessary accommodations like an accessible restroom and a secure evacuation space. (50 years earlier, Judy Heumann sued the New York Board of Education for discrimination, the first wheelchair-using teacher to do so. Heumann won, setting precedent that ultimately gave wheelchair users the right to teach. Read more on more on Heumann's legacy.)

After a lengthy, "dehumanizing" legal battle, the court found in favor of Manderson and ordered several changes to improve access. Still Manderson is reluctant to call it a win. "The case set a precedent, but the changes are mostly cosmetic," she says. "It's been very frustrating at times, but in the end, I felt like it was a worthy cause."

When Manderson was a child, she spent hours playing pretend school. Once she moved from pretend classrooms to real ones, she found teaching came naturally to her. More importantly, she enjoyed it. But she's tired from years of fighting inaccessibility and outdated attitudes, and plans to stop teaching soon.

Burnout and Rewards

Whether they use a wheelchair or not, burnout is a major issue for teachers. A June 2022 Gallup poll found that K-12 teachers had the highest burnout rate of any profession in the U.S. On its own, teaching is an exhausting and emotionally charged profession. Add in layers of stress from teaching during the pandemic, fears of school shootings, and constantly dealing with accessibility issues, and it becomes a lot to deal with year after year.

After almost three decades of teaching high school English, Jeremias has found the job rewarding, but laments how the education system has shifted over the course of his career. "Expectations by administration, parents, students and teachers have changed so much that in some ways it's barely recognizable to what it was when I first started," he says. "It sounds as if I'm whining, but I really feel that the education I'm providing at this point isn't as strong as the one I received, and that is upsetting to me."

Despite his frustrations with administrators and school bureaucracy, Jeremias still feels he's an effective educator, and his affection for his pupils is obvious. "The kids are more accepting than the adults are - that's always been the case," he says.

Zerba is retiring at the end of this school year, but even on the eve of retirement, a part of him isn't ready to stop. "It's not like, 'Oh thank God I'm done,'" he says.

Sure, there are challenges and things that annoy him. "It does seem like there's a lot more that's expected of a teacher right now. It seems like there are more hoops we have to jump through, paperwork and classes we have to take, and trainings we have to do. The demand on teachers is a little bit more, but that's any profession," he says.

It's all manageable because he still loves teaching. "I like being around the kids. They haven't changed a whole lot. They cuss more," he says, laughing. "But it's fun to be around them, especially when you have a good relationship. ... It's just fun to watch them grow and develop." He's taught health for most of his career because it's a subject that kids connect with. "You're talking about relationships or drugs or sex. It's stuff that they're dealing with and that they find applicable. ... You're able to have really good conversations."

Lessons Taught and Learned

I quit teaching when I had my first child over nine years ago. Eventually, I let my teaching license expire. Rarely have I looked back, but talking with other teachers and revisiting all of my memories has reminded me how difficult but rewarding the experience truly was.

As a teacher, I had my own burdens to carry. I often found myself representing others with disabilities when I was barely comfortable with my own. Yet, teaching also aided my acceptance of disability and motivated me to be a role model.

Of course, some students never saw beyond my chair and my disability. I definitely heard my share of, "I feel, like, really bad for you. Your life must, like, totally suck." But I think those students were in the minority, and that many more left my class having learned not only the standard material but also gaining some valuable perspective on disability.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wheelchair-Using Teachers Give the Next Generation a More Accurate View of Disability

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Wheelchair-using teachers talk about the challenges and rewards of the profession.

# data[].attributes.headline
Learning Disabilities Association of America

# data[].attributes.subject
Learning Disabilities Association of America

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a podcast on their site about how teachers can help students with disabilities.

https://ldaamerica.org/how-teachers-can-help-students-with-learning-disabilities/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Since 1963,LDA has provided support to people with learning disabilities, their parents, teachers and other professionals with cutting edge information on learning disabilities, practical solutions, and a comprehensive network of resources. These services make LDA the leading resource for information on learning disabilities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning Disabilities Association of America - Support. Educate. Advocate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since 1963 ,LDA has provided support to people with learning disabilities, their parents, teachers and other professionals with cutting edge information on learning disabilities, practical solutions, and a comprehensive network of resources. These services make LDA the leading resource for information on learning disabilities.

# data[].attributes.headline
NPR All Things Considered: Access to qualifies teacher

# data[].attributes.subject
NPR All Things Considered: Access to qualifies teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is the first in a two-part series on the special education teacher shortage. You can read part two .

At the beginning of the school year, when Becky Ashcraft attended an open house at her 12-year-old daughter's school, she was surprised to find there was no teacher in her daughter's classroom - just a teacher's aide.

"They're like, 'Oh, well, she doesn't have a teacher right now. But, you know, hopefully, we'll get one soon,' " Ashcraft recalls.

Ashcraft's daughter attends a public school in northwest Indiana that exclusively serves students with disabilities. She is on the autism spectrum and doesn't speak. Without an assigned teacher, it was difficult for Ashcraft to know what her daughter did everyday.

"I wonder what actually kind of education she was receiving," Ashcraft says.

Ashcraft's daughter spent the entire fall semester without an assigned teacher. One other parent at the school told NPR they were in the same position. Ashcraft says the principal told her they were trying to hire someone, but it was difficult to find qualified candidates.

The school would not confirm to NPR that Ashcraft's daughter had no teacher, but a spokesperson did say the school has used substitutes to provide special education services amid the shortage of qualified educators.

The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guarantees students with disabilities access to fully licensed special educators. But as Ashcraft learned, those teachers can be hard to find. In 2019, 44 states reported special education teacher shortages to the federal government. This school year, that number jumped to 48.

Let them work towards that [license], that's wonderful. But, you know, I guess at this point, you know, we're happy to take anybody.

When schools can't find qualified teachers, federal law allows them to hire people who aren't fully qualified so long as they're actively pursuing their special education certification. Indiana, California, Virginia and Maryland are among the states that offer provisional licenses to help staff special education classrooms.

It's a practice that concerns some special education experts. They worry placing people who aren't fully trained for the job in charge of classrooms could harm some of the most vulnerable students.

But given the lack of qualified special education teachers, Ashcraft says she wouldn't mind if her daughter's teacher wasn't fully trained yet.

"Let them work towards that [license], that's wonderful," she says. "But, you know, I guess at this point, you know, we're happy to take anybody."

The case against provisional special education licenses

Jacqueline Rodriguez, with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, is alarmed at the number of provisional licenses issued to unqualified special education teachers in recent years - even if those teachers are actively working toward full licensure.

"The band aid has been, let's put somebody who's breathing in front of kids, and hope that everybody survives," she says. Her organization focuses on teacher preparation, and has partnered with higher education institutions to improve recruitment of special educators.

The band aid has been, let's put somebody who's breathing in front of kids, and hope that everybody survives.

She worries placing untrained people at the helm of a classroom, and in charge of Individualized Education Programs, is harmful for students.

"This to me is like telling somebody there's a dearth of doctors in neurosurgery, so we would love for you to transition into the field by giving you the opportunity to operate on people while you're taking coursework at night," Rodriguez says.

She admits it's a provocative analogy, but says teaching is a profession that requires intensive coursework, evaluation and practice. "And unless you can demonstrate competency, you have no business being a teacher."

One district is building a special education teacher pipeline

Shaleta West had zero teaching experience when she was hired as a special educator by Elkhart Community Schools, a district in northern Indiana.

She says her first couple weeks in the classroom were overwhelming.

"It was very scary because, you know, I know kids, yes. But when you're trying to teach kids it's a whole other ball game. You can't just play around with them and talk to them and chit chat. You have to teach."

Her district is helping her work toward her certification at nearby Indiana University South Bend. Elkhart Community Schools pays West's tuition and, in exchange, West has agreed to work for the district for five years.

The district also provides West with a mentor - a seasoned special educator who answers questions, offers tips and looks over the complicated paperwork that's legally required for students with disabilities.

West says she would have been lost without the mentorship and the university classes.

"To be honest, I don't even know if I would have stayed," she explains.

"I knew nothing. I came in without any prior knowledge to what I needed to do on a daily basis."

Until we fix some of the structural challenges that we have in education, this is how business is done now. This is life in education.

Administrator Lindsey Brander oversees the Elkhart schools program that supports West. She says the program has produced about 30 fully qualified special educators over the past four years. This year, it's serving about 10 special educators, all on provisional licenses.

"We are able to recruit our own teachers and train them specifically for our students. So the system is working," Brander explains. The challenge, she says, is that it's become increasingly difficult for the district to find people to participate in the program.

And even with a new teacher pipeline in place, the district still has 24 special education vacancies.

Brander would prefer if all the district's special education teachers were fully qualified the first day they set foot in a classroom.

"But that's not reality. That's not going to happen. Until we fix some of the structural challenges that we have in education, this is how business is done now. This is life in education," she says.

How high teacher turnover impacts students

The structural issues contributing to the special educator shortage include heavy workloads and relatively low pay. At Elkhart schools, for example, new special education teachers with bachelor's degrees receive a minimum salary of $41,000, according to district officials.

Desiree Carver-Thomas, a researcher with the Learning Policy Institute, says low compensation and long workdays can lead to high turnover, especially in schools that serve students of color and children from low-income households. And when special education teachers leave the profession, the cycle continues.

"Because when turnover rates are so high, schools and districts they're just trying to fill those positions with whomever they can find, often teachers who are not fully prepared," Carver-Thomas says.

Hiring unprepared teachers can also contribute to high turnover rates, according to Carver-Thomas' research. And it can impact student outcomes.

As NPR has reported, Black students and students with disabilities are disciplined and referred to law enforcement at higher rates than students without disabilities. Black students with disabilities are especially vulnerable; federal data shows they have the highest risk for suspension among all students with disabilities.

"That may be more common when teachers don't have the tools and the experience and the training to respond appropriately," Carver-Thomas says.

Schools and families have to make do

The solution to the special educator shortage isn't simple. Carver-Thomas says it will require schools, colleges and governments to work together to boost teacher salaries and improve recruitment, preparation, working conditions and on-the-job support.

In the meantime, schools and families will have to make do.

In January, Becky Ashcraft learned her northwest Indiana school had found a teacher for her daughter's classroom.

She says she's grateful to finally have a fully licensed teacher to tell her about her daughter's school day. And she wishes the special educators that families like hers rely on were valued more.

"We've got to be thankful for the people that do this work," she says.

Nicole Cohen edited this story for broadcast and for the web.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Students with disabilities have a right to qualified teachers - but there's a shortage

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When schools can't find a licensed special education teacher, they hire people who are willing to do the job, but lack the training. It's a practice that concerns some special education experts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Services & Resources - Special Education (CA Dept of Education)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Programs and services available to students with disabilities, publications, training and technical assistance opportunities, and recruitment resources and materials.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Value of Educators with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.subject
The Value of Educators with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
People with disabilities represent the largest minority group in the United States (1 in 4 adults, or 61 million people, live with a disability). However, educators with disabilities are rarely a topic of discussion.

With the constant emphasis in today's public discussion on diversity, equity and inclusion, it makes sense to recognize that one of the categories within this group is teachers with disabilities, who are entering the education field and doing their job as highly effective educators. Even though many people know someone with a disability, it may not occur to them that a teacher could have a disability.

"Educators with disabilities often bring additional expertise to the job: empathy. They understand all too well what students with disabilities and students who struggle in school are going through."

The social assumption is that all teachers are intelligent and nondisabled. Yet that is not the case. All state-licensed teachers are required to pass exams to qualify for their state-issued credentials. It is not well-known that there are "test takers with disabilities" who qualify for and receive testing accommodations, including extra time, double-time, and a separate room to minimize distractions during their Praxis or other state-required exams. Contrary to the belief that they couldn't possibly pass these grueling exams, they do pass and become highly qualified certificated teachers alongside their nondisabled peers.

Educators with disabilities, in fact, often bring additional expertise to the job: empathy. They understand all too well what students with disabilities, and students who struggle in school socially and with their studies are going through. They are powerful role models, and can offer counsel and assistance through a personal lens. And these educators can offer other talents such as being particularly adept with technology,
having used various programs or devices for years, and are able to more easily incorporate tech into their teaching.

But what school district would hire a teacher with a disability? Due to privacy laws such as HIPAA, no employer may examine or gain access to the health records of their employees, including teacher applicants. It is against the law for any human resources department in any school district to probe, request or disclose the disability knowledge or status of a candidate.

When a teacher with a disability applies for a job, they do not put their disability label on their résumé. They list their qualifications and their credentials. Furthermore, research shows that invisible disabilities, such as learning disabilities, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder),
Asperger's syndrome, and other disorders recognized on the autism spectrum, may be concealed during interviews. This does not necessarily include those with intellectual disabilities. Consequently, in recent years, certificated teacher candidates with disabilities have been hired for positions in the competitive areas of early childhood education and primary, secondary and higher education. To the surprise of many nondisabled educators, sometimes a disabled teacher candidate is more qualified and hired for the job instead of them.

Although there have been policy initiatives to increase the employment of people with disabilities, advocacy organizations such as the National Organization on Disability continue their work to ensure equality for all workers with disabilities. This is evident particularly with the effort to eliminate subminimum wage 14(c). Thousands of Californians work in the federal 14(c) program, which lets employers pay employees less than minimum wage. Eliminating it is critical to help qualified educators with physical disabilities overcome obstacles to gain employment. Even if educators with disabilities become gainfully employed, however, often they are restricted in their placement and have limited advancement opportunities within their careers.

This issue not only impacts employers of educators with disabilities, but also impacts the communities of parents and students. Would a school district's value decrease if it employed educators with disabilities? If students learn that their teacher has a disability, how these children learn to respond influences their attitude toward and treatment of all people they meet who are "different." These are just a few factors to consider in having educators with disabilities in our schools.

Such challenges must be recognized by all school districts, as there is still a widespread belief that educators could not have disabilities. There is still a great need to combat the social stigma associated with disabilities, namely, that an educator with a disability has a lesser intellect. Certainly, there is a need to increase the awareness of excellent educators with disabilities in the workforce. By including educators with disabilities as role models for students, it increases their empathy, encourages them to face challenges, and enhances their belief that all educators with disabilities are valued.
United Teachers Los Angeles member Toby Tomlinson Baker, Ph.D., teaches special education in Los Angeles Unified School District and is an adjunct lecturer at CSU Los Angeles. She received the Harrison Sylvester Award for her research from the Learning Disabilities Association of America and was CHADD's (Children and Adults With ADHD) 2018 Educator of the Year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Your Voice: The Value of Educators With Disabilities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
People with disabilities represent the largest minority group in the United States (1 in 4 adults, or 61 million people, live with a disability). However, educators with disabilities are rarely a topic of discussion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Disability Rights are Human Rights

We have created resources to help you inside and outside of the classroom.

Check out our IEP Team Meeting Short Video Series!

This three part short video series is meant to inform best practices for IEP team meetings and is a great resource for new and veteran educators, alike!

Did you know that 1 in 5 Americans has a disability?

When educators and allies raise our voices together, anything is possible. This is how we win the public education every student deserves.

Stay up-to-date with all the latest California teachers news, events, and member benefits.

X
A cross
X
A cross

# data[].attributes.body
Here are links to some of their Special Education specific videos.

Special Ed for General Ed Teachers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpjPhNmjbCo

IEP Rights & Responsibilities
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1ZZWJxt0tI

Changes in Special Ed Credentialing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDY-pv4dIiE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world