Getting my certificate to teach special ed?

Question

what are the job prospects for teachers specializing in special ed? what states have special ed teacher shortages? thanks!

Answer 1

There's a huge shortage over here in Hawaii, so if you're good come on over! :)

You'll get a job in a heartbeat!

Answer 2

These days, just getting a special ed degree is not enough unless you intend to teach in the following areas:

Life Skills (kids with significant mental handicaps. This is a fun job.)

Profound (kids who are severely mentally retarded)

Autism

Pre-K Special ed

Severe Language Disorder

For all others, due to the "highly qualified" requirement, you will need to take regular ed coursework. If you want to teach elementary, this means all subject areas. If you want to teach middle school or high school, you can zero in on a particular subject area that interests you. In any case, you will have to take both the special ed exam for that state and the subject area.

Some of the jobs that require highly qualified stats are:

SLD

Deaf and HH

Blind

Othopedically Impaired

Physically Impaired

Florida is currently accepting people with any MA, BA or BS to teach special ed. They must fulfill the requirements for the credential while they teach. The district will work closely with you to help you understand and meet the requirements.

Florida Gulf Coast University has an outstanding program that prepares special educators and helps them through the legal hoops of highly qualified status, if you don't have a BA now.

Answer 3

All states have a need for special educators.  With new rules in IDEA and NCLB, highly qualified teachers are hard to come by.  If you happen to be in Louisiana, I have a job for you tomorrow. If you want a self-contained EBD class, I have a job for you today!

Answer 4

Are you getting a regular ed. degree, too?  Good special Ed. teachers are ALWAYS needed, and it's fairly easy to add this degree on to whatever you have.  It's also a very good way to get your foot in the door if someday you want to go in to a reg. classroom.  Not sure where there are teacher shortages...BUT there's such a burn out rate in spec. ed. (so I've heard) that there's always that need.

Answer 5

Most states, due to the "lovely Laura Bush's" No Child Left Behind Act, have "included" special education students into "regular" classrooms--abolishing the need for teachers who have degrees in Special Education. These teachers must now "test out" to be "highly qualified" for Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies, or Technolgy.

Your prospects as a Special Education teacher are not very bright.