Special Education Teachers in California

The shortage of special education teachers (SETs) is a challenge in the United States, but less is known about two other issues that affect students with disabilities: racial diversity within the SET workforce and the distribution of SETs. Using data on all teachers in California from 1997 to 2014, we examined the racial composition and distribution of teachers with special education credentials. Our results show that while teachers with special education credentials remain majority White, the number of teachers of color with special education credentials has increased at a rate more than twice that of general education teachers and special education students of color. Much of the distribution of teachers with special education credentials occurs across districts within the same region, while disparities in teacher qualifications are larger by school poverty, racial composition, and student achievement. The results have implications for diversity and educational equity within the special education workforce.