Special Education Improving the Resource Term Paper

They will not have to sit through lessons that are not meant for them. Every lesson would be targeted towards that particular group of students.

Teacher Retention

Special education is a highly specialized field making teacher retention an even more important issue than in the general population of teachers. Teaching a diverse array of students with specialized needs increases the workload of teachers more than those who only have to concentrate on a single subject. When teachers become overwhelmed, they are likely to experience higher amounts of job related stress. This stress translates into job dissatisfaction and can lead to lower teacher retention (Greiner & Smith, 2006). The proposed strategy would reduce teacher workload by allowing them to concentrate on the needs of only one group of students. They could become more proficient in the needs of this particular group of students, resulting in fewer job related stresses.

Every year the number of children needs special education increases. However, the number of new teachers entering the field is not increasing at the same rate (Olvarez, 2006). If this is not enough, attrition rates are higher in special education as well (Olvarez, 2006). The need to retain the teachers that are already in the field is imperative if the increasing needs of the special education community are to be met. One of the disadvantages of the proposed plan is that more teachers will be needed for the same population of students. This may present a challenge in an area that is already experiencing a teacher shortage. Budgetary issues may also prove to be a difficulty, as more staff will be needed, one for each group of special needs group of students.

Staffing and budgetary issues may prove problematic in some school systems. However, the long-term benefits of the plan will outweigh the logistical issues in the end. Students will receive a better education and enjoy programming that is designed specifically for them. Students and teachers will benefit from increased efficiency in the time spent preparing the delivering only one set of lessons, rather than having to ration their time to meet the needs of various student groups. This plan will reduce stress on the teacher, resulting in lower stress and higher retention rates.

References

Greiner, C. & Smith, B. (2006) Determining the Effect of Selected Variables on Teacher Retention.

Education, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3673/is_200607" Summer 2006. Retrieved December 21, 2007 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3673/is_200607/ai_n17173392/pg_1

Internet Special Education Resources (ISER) (2007).

LD, Autism, Dyslexia, ADHD Schools, Treatment, Therapy, Retrieved December 21, 2007 at http://www.iser.com/

Olivarez, Melissa M "

Personal and Demographic Characteristics of Retained Teachers of Special Education." Education. Summer 2006. FindArticles.com. December 23, 2007. Retrieved December 21, 2007 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3673/is_200607/ai_n17173386

UNESCO Inclusive Education Programme and Strategy (2007). Current Strategies Insufficient. Retrieved December 21, 2007 at http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12084&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html