Illinois Special Education Teachers in Short Supply

Jacksonville School District 117 began the school year with 25 positions filled by long-term substitutes, 14 of them posts for special education teachers that stayed vacant despite months of recruiting. The district also opened the year short on science, physical education, art, pre-kindergarten, math, business and family and consumer sciences teachers. The numbers illustrate a teacher shortage that has settled most heavily on special education, the field where districts say hiring is hardest and student needs are growing fastest.

Illinois schools have struggled with vacancies for years, and statewide surveys consistently rank special education among the areas of greatest need. More than 90 percent of Illinois schools have reported a serious or very serious teacher shortage problem, and shortages run most severe in special education and career technical education. District leaders cite burnout from working conditions and the pull of better pay in other professions as the main drivers. For Jacksonville, the challenge is competing for a limited pool of licensed candidates against larger districts that can offer higher salaries.

The district's reliance on long-term substitutes is not unusual. Schools statewide have filled thousands of positions this year with substitutes, retired educators or emergency-credentialed staff. But special education carries extra weight because federal law requires schools to provide individualized services to students with disabilities, and caseloads keep rising as more students qualify for support. When a special education position goes unfilled, remaining staff absorb the extra students, increasing the burnout that feeds the cycle.

Why special education teachers are hardest to hire

Districts say several forces make special education teachers the toughest hires. The work demands specialized licenses, extensive paperwork for individualized education programs, and daily collaboration with parents, therapists and general education teachers. Starting salaries often do not reflect that workload. Surveys of Illinois school leaders found that 54 percent cited burnout from working conditions as a cause of their shortages, while 49 percent pointed to better pay available in other professions. Many college students weigh the cost of a degree against the salary they will earn and choose other careers.

Jacksonville School District 117 has tried the usual remedies. Area districts have raised starting pay, offered signing incentives and partnered with universities to grow their own teachers through alternative certification routes. Still, 14 of the district's 25 substitute-filled positions were in special education, showing how the field absorbs the worst of the shortage. Administrators say each unfilled special education post can affect dozens of students who depend on consistent, qualified instruction.

What districts do without special education teachers

When special education teachers cannot be hired, districts turn to stopgap measures. Long-term substitutes lead classrooms while the search continues, and some districts combine classes, increase caseloads or contract with outside agencies. State data shows that schools often turn to unlicensed or emergency-credentialed staff for special education roles, even though federal rules require teachers of students with disabilities to hold at least a bachelor's degree and full certification. Only about 92 percent of the nation's special education teachers were fully certified in the most recent federal count, leaving tens of thousands working without full credentials.

The consequences land on students first. Special education teachers manage each child's individualized plan, track progress toward goals and coordinate services across the school. Frequent turnover or reliance on substitutes disrupts that continuity. Parents in districts facing shortages report longer waits for evaluations and services, and advocates warn that students with the greatest needs feel staffing gaps most acutely.

The future for special education teachers in Illinois

State leaders are trying to widen the pipeline. Districts have expanded grow-your-own programs that help paraprofessionals and career changers earn teaching licenses while working, and some districts now cover tuition for staff pursuing special education credentials. A federal court order restoring teacher preparation grants in Illinois and seven other states could also help address the shortage. Teacher preparation grants are a key tool to address the serious teacher shortage crisis that continues to affect school districts across Illinois, the state attorney general's office said when the funding was restored.

Whether those efforts reach classrooms like Jacksonville's remains the open question. Illinois schools will keep competing for special education teachers as long as demand outpaces the number of new graduates entering the field. District officials say the long-term answer is making the career sustainable, with manageable caseloads, competitive pay and support that keeps experienced teachers in the classroom. Until then, districts will keep starting school years with substitutes in seats they would rather fill permanently.