38 States & Washington, D.C. Have A Shortage Of Special Education Teachers

Three-quarters of U.S. states have a shortage of special education teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. In total, 38 states and the District of Columbia reported shortages of special education teachers for one or more program types in various regions across the state. During the 2023-2024 school year, 80% of states reported this shortage, which affected half of school districts.

A “teacher shortage area” is defined as “an area of specific grade, subject matter or discipline classification, or a geographic area in which the federal Secretary of Education determines that there is an inadequate supply of . . .