The Value of Mentorship in Special Education Programs

The persistent shortage of special education teachers in K–12 schools has become a critical challenge for education systems across the United States. According to recent national analyses, more than 411,000 teaching positions across the United States are either unfilled or staffed by teachers who are not fully certified, representing approximately one in eight teaching positions nationwide; shortages are most widespread and severe in special education (Learning Policy Institute, 2025). Although shortages in special education predate the COVID-19 pandemic (Boe et al., 2013; Peyton et al., 2021), the pandemic exacerbated these trends, accelerating attrition and deepening reliance on underprepared or provisionally credentialed educators (Carver-Thomas et al., 2021; Spencer et al., 2023). At the same time, enrollment in educator preparation programs has declined across disciplines (Will, 2022), and growth in alternative certification pathways has not yielded enough fully prepared teachers to meet demand (King & Yin, 2022). These patterns pose particular concern for students with disabilities, whose educational outcomes are closely linked to teacher quality and preparation (Feng & Sass, 2017).