OSEP Dear Colleague Discusses Retention for Special Educators; Highlights CEC Collaboration

In her final Dear Colleague letter, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Director Valerie C. Williams highlighted the role of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) in gathering data to better understand the sources of special educator attrition.

OSEP, in collaboration with the CEC, conducted roundtable discussions with school leaders, identifying factors contributing to special educator attrition, such as role ambiguity, lack of collaboration, unmanageable workloads, burnout, and poor family engagement. To combat these challenges, Williams explains that OSEP invested over $80 million in FY 2024 under IDEA, including $17 million for grants to enhance the pipeline and retention of special education personnel.  

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