Complicating the Narrative About Emergency Certified Special Educators

• In Event: Special Educators: Attitudes, Satisfaction, and Retention

Abstract

For decades, school districts have relied on unlicensed teachers to fill vacancies in special education, meaning students with disabilities increasingly receive educational services from individuals without the necessary preparation, resulting in inequitable educational opportunities. We utilized teacher licensure data from a state education agency to examine the preparation pathways of emergency certified special educators in one large Midwestern state to better understand their experiences. Descriptive analysis of 798 teachers who received their initial special education emergency certification in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years were employed. We provide implications for future research and practice to better prepare these special educators and increase students’ access to qualified teachers.

Authors

• Kimber L. Wilkerson, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Elizabeth Sikora, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Melinda Leko, University of Wisconsin - Madison