As School Year Begins, Special Education Teacher Shortages Remain a Challenge

As people with disabilities begin or prepare for the 2024-2025 school year, the challenge of special educator shortages persists. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education (ED), 39 states and Washington, DC, report shortages of special education teachers among various disciplines and ages. Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Utah, and Vermont are not reporting special education teacher shortages. Shortages of specialized instructional support personnel, from school counselors and psychologists to speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, also persist. ED collects data on a wide range of shortage areas and has a searchable database with historical information dating back to 1991. Special educators have persisted as a top shortage category for decades. Improving how states and districts attract, prepare, and retain special educators is a top priority for CEC. You can learn more about our federal efforts by reading our issue brief on educator shortages. 

You can explore historical data on teacher shortages via the ED's database.