What can administrators do about the special education teacher shortage?

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The special education teacher shortage has been an issue throughout the United States for decades. This shortage affects students directly, especially when they miss out on services, face unstable learning environments, or are left with substitutes who are not trained to meet their needs. The lack of qualified special education teachers places a larger workload on the remaining teachers, which contributes to even more turnover and burnout. High turnover, missed IEP minutes, and inconsistent support not only disrupt student learning but also put the school and/or district at risk for legal action.

Teacher pay and student behavior often top the list of reasons why educators leave, but another major factor is administration. While most administrators do not have control over how much teachers are paid, they play an important role in shaping the day-to-day culture that determines whether staff feel supported enough to stay. 

In the May episode of Social Cipher’s All Kinds of Minds podcast, we spoke with Mash M., an AuDHD special education advocate with experience teaching in traditional, charter, and private schools. Now, Mash travels the country offering coaching and training to help administrators better support their staff and to help staff better support their students. From Mash’s experience, there are a few key things administrators can do to increase teacher retention:

1. Focus on relationships.

Teachers who feel seen, heard, and supported by leadership are more likely to stay. It’s nearly impossible to do any of those without building genuine relationships with staff. Administrators have a lot on their plate, and one-on-one conversations with staff members can easily fall to the bottom of the list unless something urgent comes up. While this is understandable, it can leave educators feeling isolated and unsure of what to do. Taking time to connect with staff outside of observations, staff meetings, and disciplinary conversations can go a long way toward creating a work environment where people want to stay.

A few ways to build relationships include:

• Regular one-on-one or small-group check-ins focused on well-being
• Following up on concerns or suggestions brought up by staff in a timely manner
• Creating space for educators to share how they feel without fear of judgment or retaliation
• Acknowledging the emotional and mental load of being an educator (sometimes people just want to know that you understand and empathize with what they’re feeling)
• Randomly leaving encouraging notes throughout the school year

Be present and visible without hovering or micromanaging, which can be equally as stressful for educators as being unsupportive. When educators know their administrators are in their corner, they are more likely to stay committed and bring their best selves to the classroom.

2. Build support systems for staff.

Mash explained that burnout stems from a combination of being underfunded, undertrained, and undersupported. Teachers want to do well, and they want to see their students succeed, but the job becomes unsustainable without the right resources. Schools that retain their educators usually have systems in place that make the job more manageable.

For example, Social Cipher’s SEL curriculum and online game allows students to practice social and emotional skills independently. As students play the game, educators gain valuable insights that they can use to build deeper relationships with students and provide targeted support. Support systems can also include:

• Clear onboarding processes with ongoing mentorship for new teachers
• Professional development
• Access to tools that ease the workload
• Consistent opportunities for collaboration
• Peer coaching
• Designated planning time that does not get taken away to cover other classes or duties
• Clear expectations for caseload and IEP compliance with support for meeting those expectations

When the right systems and resources are in place, educators can focus more on the parts of their job that drew them to the field in the first place.

3. Make accommodations for educators’ unique needs.

Neurodivergent educators often go unnoticed or unsupported for a variety of reasons. Most schools are not designed with neurodivergent students in mind, and the same can be said for neurodivergent staff. Mash shared that neurodivergent educators often leave the field earlier than their neurotypical peers either because their needs go unrecognized or because they are unsure of how to advocate for themselves. 

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A major barrier is that many neurodivergent women are undiagnosed. They may have spent years masking without realizing it, and while they may not have formal documentation or clarity around their needs, they know something is not working. That feeling of overwhelm without knowing why can make it hard to stay.

One way to support neurodivergent educators is to implement supports that are accessible to everyone. Designing with neurodivergent staff in mind will benefit the whole team. 

Here are a few ideas for how to do this:

• Provide multiple ways to communicate during meetings
• Give staff access to quiet workspaces
• Offer access to planning tools
• Provide sensory aids
• Allow flexible deadlines when appropriate
• Minimize last-minute schedule changes as much as possible
• Offer asynchronous ways to engage in professional development and planning

4. Value the expertise of paraprofessionals.

When Social Cipher hosted the MTSS Interventions for Autistic Students edWebinar in March 2025, 15% of the attendees were paraprofessionals looking for better ways to support their students. Their commitment to their students is clear, but Mash emphasized how often paraprofessionals are overlooked despite the essential work they do. 

Paraprofessionals often know their students’ triggers, how to calm them down, and when to step in. They are key partners in supporting the teacher and can often spot early signs of struggle that others miss. A strong teacher-paraprofessional relationship creates more consistency for students and gives teachers the kind of support that makes it possible to stay.

Support paraprofessionals by:

• Providing relevant professional development 
• Recognizing their contributions in formal and informal ways 
• Valuing their insights when planning
• Ensuring they have the materials, support, and backup they need to work safely and effectively

5. Normalize asking for help.

Teaching can be incredibly stressful, yet many educators feel pressure to handle everything on their own. Some worry that asking for help will make them look unprepared or incapable of doing their jobs. Others feel shame when they’re overwhelmed, so they try to push through until they burn out. 

Mash shared that during difficult times in their career, they were expected to keep going even when their mental and physical health were suffering. Unfortunately, Mash’s experience is not uncommon. Changing the culture around asking for help starts with administrators setting a tone where vulnerability is accepted. 

To create a culture where asking for help is expected:

• Build clear systems for requesting support or time away when needed
• Encourage staff to set boundaries and prioritize mental health
• Model vulnerability by sharing your own challenges and how you address them
• Provide space for emotional check-ins and processing after hard days

When educators are supported as whole people, they are more likely to stay healthy, feel fulfilled, and be able to fully support students.

There is no quick fix to the special education teacher shortage, but there are meaningful steps schools and districts can take to build environments where educators want to stay. Many administrators are already on the right track. Even with the challenges schools are facing, there are still plenty of places where teachers feel heard, supported, and empowered to keep going. 

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Sources

Makhlyagina, Mash. “The Biggest Problems in Special Education (and what we can do about them). All Kinds of Minds Podcast. Link

U.S. Department of Education. Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listing 1990–1991 through 2023–2024. Link

Learning Policy Institute. “A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the U.S. Link

Social Cipher. “How Schools Can Support Autistic Girls.” Link