Schools are struggling to hire special education teachers. Hawaii may have found a fix

Schools are struggling to hire special education teachers. Hawaii may have found a fix

Transcript¹

This is part two of a two-part series on the special education teacher shortage. You can read part one here.

A few years after Heather Carll started teaching special education in Hawaii public schools, she called it quits. She needed a break from the meetings, paperwork and legal responsibilities that make teaching students with disabilities one of the toughest jobs in education.

"I felt like, 'Let me get away from [Individualized Education Programs] and see what it's like to teach without that responsibility, without that extra added stress to my job,' " she says.

Carll took a position teaching general education and eventually found a district job with better pay.

She says it wasn't the same. "What I really missed was working with kids."

But she could no longer afford the pay cut that came with being in the classroom.

That changed in 2020, when Hawaii started paying special education teachers $10,000 more per year.

"I literally² could not afford to go back to the classroom without the differential," Carll says.

For years, Hawaii has struggled to recruit and retain special education teachers like Carll. And it's not alone: This school year, 48 states, including Hawaii, reported shortages of special education teachers to the federal government.

The shortage is so severe that Hawaii is one of several states that rely on teachers without licenses³ in special education to teach some of the highest needs students — like those who do not speak and those with challenging behaviors.

It's definitely having a great impact on getting people to remain in special education, and also it's attracting folks to go into special education.

Osa Tui, Hawaii State Teachers Association

But Hawaii's pay increase, which began in 2020, was a game changer. Before the incentive⁴, in October 2019, almost 30% of the state's special education positions were vacant or staffed by teachers without appropriate licenses, district data shows. By October 2021, that number dropped by half, to about 15%.

"I think what we've seen in Hawaii is that it works," says Osa Tui, the president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association. "It's definitely having a great impact on getting people to remain in special education, and also it's attracting folks to go into special education."

Other districts are trying this, but large incentives⁵ are rare

Hawaii isn't the only school system paying special education teachers more. Detroit began paying $15,000 more this school year, and district leaders say it is already helping⁶. Smaller pay stipends⁷ are also common in large districts.

But significant incentives like those in Hawaii and Detroit haven't caught on more broadly.

"It is frustrating⁸ to watch districts say they have this challenge and then don't take many actions to address it," says Chad Aldeman, who studies school finance at Georgetown University's Edunomics Lab.

Students with disabilities are entitled to a free, appropriate education under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The federal government is supposed to cover 40% of the extra cost of providing special education services, but it has never fulfilled that promise. In fiscal⁹ year 2020, the federal government only contributed about 13%, according to the National Education Association.

Paying special education teachers more would increase the cost of providing services that are already expensive.

But Aldeman believes it would have a relatively¹⁰ limited impact on district budgets, because those educators only make up a small portion of a district's staff. He says most school systems could afford to boost pay. And that could lead to other savings¹¹.

"If districts start thinking about the amount of money it would cost to recruit and replace the teacher who leaves, then it might start to change the calculation," Aldeman explains. "It can make sense financially."

Atlanta Public Schools is hoping Aldeman is right.

If districts start thinking about the amount of money it would cost to recruit and replace the teacher who leaves, then it might start to change the calculation.

Chad Aldeman, school finance expert

In June 2019, the district was scrambling¹² to fill 30 special education teacher vacancies¹³ for the next school year. Nicole Lawson, interim¹⁴ chief human resources officer, says they were offering candidates jobs only to lose out to neighboring districts that paid more.

Then Atlanta started paying new special education teachers $3,000 bonuses, and within a month, all the vacancies were full, Lawson says. This school year, Atlanta started offering those incentives to all special education teachers as part of a pilot program.

"I have a good feeling — just with my ear to the ground — that we will lessen¹⁵ our burden of recruitment over the years by offering retention¹⁶ stipends," Lawson says. "I think we'll boost our retention for our special education teachers."

What the pay bump is costing Hawaii

The pay differentials for licensed¹⁷ special education teachers are expected to cost Hawaii about $20 million this school year — close to 1% of the state's roughly $2 billion education budget.

"In my view, this is an essential cost for the children here who deserve to have teachers who are highly qualified¹⁸, licensed and skilled in this profession," says Catherine Payne, chair of the Hawaii State Board of Education.

Hawaii is in a unique position because it has a single district and teacher pay is set statewide. But the differentials were almost derailed when the pandemic forced Hawaii's tourism-based economy to a halt just weeks after the extra pay kicked in.

"We were afraid that we would go broke as a state," Payne says. "They were talking about 20% pay cuts for everybody. And it was very frightening."

Proposed cuts to the differentials faced intense resistance from teachers, parents and school board members. Ultimately the board voted to keep the extra special education pay in place.

For now, the department is using an influx¹⁹ of federal COVID-19 relief funding to pay for the differentials. But with tourism picking up again, lawmakers are considering legislation to provide dedicated²⁰ funding for the pay boost.

Most schools pay teachers the same salaries, regardless of their specialty²¹

The price tag isn't the only obstacle to paying special education teachers more. Most school systems pay teachers the same salaries regardless of their specialty, and changing that takes political will.

Elizabeth Bettini, a professor of special education at Boston University, says, in many places, there's no one fighting for this change. One reason why is because society doesn't acknowledge the additional expertise²² and work that goes into teaching special education.

The skills administrators²³ value in special education teachers are often personality traits, like patience and kindness, Bettini says, pointing to studies where researchers interviewed school leaders. That sets low expectations, and makes special education seem like "a de-skilled profession," she explains.

"It seems like, 'Oh, well, why would we pay you more for the skills you have working with students with disabilities when those are just, like, your natural caring skills?' "

Bettini says higher pay for special education teachers would recognize their expertise and help make it a more attractive job.

For some special education teachers, money won't be enough

Higher pay is just one piece of the puzzle. Experts say states also need strong pipelines²⁴ for training new educators, and, in order to keep retention high, teachers need support from school administrators.

Those are two things former special education teacher Emily Abrams didn't always feel she had. In 2021, her third year as a special educator, Abrams worked with students with behavioral challenges at a central Indiana elementary school.

After I would get finished with a day, you know, I'd go home and cry.

Emily Abrams, former special education teacher

The work was exhausting and often left her feeling "super defeated," Abrams says. "After I would get finished with a day, you know, I'd go home and cry."

It was also a physical job that sometimes got scary. Like a day in March 2021 when a student became violent, and Abrams and a coworker tried to put him in a padded seclusion²⁵ room. Those rooms are controversial, but many schools use them when staff worry students will be a danger to themselves or others.

"He grabbed the computer charger, yanked it out of the wall and ... hit me with it," Abrams recalls. "And then [he] used his body as well to kick me numerous times. It was just utter chaos²⁶ throughout the whole thing."

She believes the encounter lasted more than 30 minutes.

Abrams left school that day with bruised²⁷ and swollen²⁸ shins. Less than a month later, she quit. Now, she answers email questions for a medical company.

"I have zero stress in this new position," she says. "I can turn my computer off after eight hours a day and live my life."

Abrams says no amount of money could convince her to go back to special education.

Heather Carll, the teacher in Hawaii, knows money won't be enough to make up for other problems — like inadequate²⁹ staffing, training or administrative³⁰ support. But it could help persuade some teachers to stay.

"It's really easy to just give up and say, 'Forget it,' " Carll says. "I think if the money keeps people to kind of stick with it a little bit, you can get over the hump."

Carll believes that if extra pay convinces teachers to stay longer, it will give students important stability; they will learn more and finish school better prepared for life, she says. "There's a huge ripple³¹ effect."

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

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

3 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

4 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

5 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 stipends   

n.（尤指牧师的）薪俸( stipend的名词复数 )

参考例句：

8 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

10 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

11 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

12 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 vacancies   

n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺

参考例句：

• job vacancies 职位空缺
• The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

15 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

16 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

17 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

18 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

19 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

20 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

21 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

22 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

23 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

24 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

25 seclusion   

n.隐遁，隔离

参考例句：

• She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。
• I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。

26 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

27 bruised   

[医]青肿的，瘀紫的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

28 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

29 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

30 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

31 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。