Committee hears widespread special‑education staffing shortages; DPI outlines recruitment and retention efforts

Committee members received detailed testimony and survey results indicating a significant workforce shortage in special education and discussed state and local efforts to recruit and retain specialists. Legislative Council’s background materials summarized the study scope and the pressures faced by special educators, and DPI and unit directors provided staffing counts and recent program responses.

What the committee heard: Legislative Council cited a 2022‑23 figure that roughly 8.3% of special‑education positions were unfilled or staffed irregularly; DPI staff and unit directors said the true need is sometimes higher because districts make interim arrangements so a position is not reported as ‘‘open’’ on official forms. DPI’s analysis of a director survey showed growth in some categories of unmet positions (for example, increases in shortage counts for special‑education teachers and speech‑language pathologists) and steady use of international recruits and other alternative staffing sources.

On workloads and safety: the background memo and DPI presenters highlighted concerns about caseloads, paperwork, management of paraprofessionals, and student behavior that increases staff burden. DPI showed increases in the number of students identified with behavior‑related disabilities and higher rates of suspensions, removals, and manifestation determinations for those students — trends that special‑education staff said add to workload and can threaten staff retention.

State response and programs: DPI described use of IDEA Part B funds and state investments to support recruitment and retention. Mary McCarville O'Connor outlined targeted investments including the educator pathway (dual‑credit courses to encourage future teachers), paraprofessional‑to‑teacher pathways, resident teacher programs, training scholarships, and a paraprofessional training pilot delivered through the state’s educational hub. DPI said it reserved a portion of IDEA funds for statewide activities and that the department is spending about $1.5 million on recruitment and retention initiatives. The department also described a statewide rollout of the Goalbook Toolkit — a curriculum‑aligned IEP and progress‑monitoring tool — and an independent research arrangement to evaluate its impact.

Survey findings and workforce stress: presenters summarized local survey results suggesting a high rate of staff reporting unsustainable workloads; DPI staff cited a survey indicating 86% of special‑education teachers report feeling overwhelmed by workload and about 44% are considering leaving the profession. National data presented by Legislative Council staff indicated high early turnover: about half of new special‑education teachers leave the field within five years nationally.

Next steps: committee members asked DPI for more granular and longitudinal staffing data (including urban/rural breakdowns and paraprofessional openings), follow‑up outcomes for the paraprofessional‑to‑teacher pipeline, and regional analyses of whether university preparation programs and clinical placements produce candidates who enter school‑based roles. DPI agreed to provide the detailed staffing counts and to work with the committee on additional evidence on program outcomes.