A study done by Dr. P. McKnab in 1995 concludes that the decline for special education teachers is 9.8%, as compared to a 6.1% deterioration rate in regular education teachers. Another astonishing statistic centers on special education teacher certification. About 9% of all special education teachers are teaching with a temporary certificate. But the national numbers don't even measure up to those in some states. In California, 36% of special education teachers are uncertified. However the statistics of special education teacher certification come as no surprise to Richard Mainzer, the executive director with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Mainzer states that, "Special education teachers are leaving twice as fast as general education teachers. We are going to have to recruit and build capacity regionally." .
In the current educational climate, special education teachers often feel unsupported, ill-equipped, frenzied, and lacking authority. Too often they are asked to teach in situations that make them ineffective. One of the major difficulty special education teachers face is unmanageable caseloads. For the past decade, class size has been a concern for general education classrooms. However, class size in special education has received little attention. While most states have some caseload requirements, currently no national standard exists for limits on a professional's caseload. In many situations, teachers have no professional option when they are given overwhelming numbers of students and are expected to individualize their instruction. Over and over again, we hear of situations in which it is impossible for teachers to carry out their responsibilities because of caseloads that exceed what is reasonable. Special education teachers are also pressured under the overwhelming amount of paperwork they are expected to complete. A series of studies have documented higher levels of stress experienced by special educators in relation to their job responsibilities.
