Practical strategies to help school leaders strengthen and sustain their diverse learner educator teams
According to the Learning Policy Institute, special educator turnover costs districts $10,000–$25,000 per teacher—and even more in the disruption it creates for students who depend on steady, skilled instructional support from qualified teachers. Because special educators leave at 2.5 times the rate of their general education peers, school leaders play a critical role in creating conditions that make their diverse learner teachers feel supported, valued, and equipped to stay (The CEEDAR Center). This “Quick Take Video” explores how school leaders can strengthen SPED teacher retention through a simple, high-impact framework: Support → Develop → Invest.
“Special education teachers repeatedly indicate that a supportive administrative team who truly cares about centering the needs of diverse learners is an important enabling condition for those teachers to perform their duties successfully.”
— Five Takeaways from the Tennessee Educator Survey, Tennessee Educator Survey, 2024
1. Support: Understand the Real Experiences of Special Educators
To support special educators well, school leaders must first understand what their daily reality is like.
In the DLC’s teacher retention report, data showed that a supportive administrative team that centers the needs of diverse learners is one of the most important conditions for special educators to thrive. However, traditional feedback tools rarely capture their voices clearly. Since SPED teachers make up a small portion of staff, their input often gets lost in aggregate survey results.
Try this:
- Conduct targeted listening sessions or quick check-ins with your SPED team to understand their experiences.
- Ask questions like:
- What is the biggest barrier to meeting student needs right now?
- Where do you need more clarity, resources, or access?
- What’s one thing leadership could shift this month to make your work more doable?
When leaders take time to listen intentionally, they send a powerful message: Your experience matters, and I’m here to help.
2. Develop: Provide Specialized, Responsive Professional Learning for SPED Teachers
Special educators need meaningful professional growth opportunities that reflect the complexity of their roles. Generic PD sessions or evaluation practices often fall short because they don’t speak to the nuanced demands of specialized instruction, collaboration, and compliance.
Try this:
- Ensure special educators have access to professional learning tied to the specific needs of their students, such as assistive technology, behavior supports, or specialized reading interventions.
- Review evaluation and coaching practices:
- Are they aligned to the realities of a special educator’s role?
- Do they provide actionable feedback on IEP development, data collection, collaboration, and instructional design?
Ask:
- Do my special educators have the training, time, and tools needed to successfully serve their caseload?
- Are their unique responsibilities reflected in my expectations and support systems?
When school leaders prioritize targeted development, they equip special educators not just to manage their roles, but to grow in them.
3. Invest: Build Conditions That Encourage Special Educators to Stay
As leaders deepen their understanding of the special educators role, the next step is to turn insight into supportive, sustainable action. Research points to one practice with especially strong retention outcomes: mentorship.
According to the Tennessee Education Research Alliance, nearly 1 in 5 new teachers in Tennessee leave within their first three years, but access to a mentor increases the likelihood they’ll stay by nearly 10%.
Try this:
- Build or strengthen a SPED-specific mentoring structure. You don’t need a large, complex program to start, begin with one element.
- Lean on your SPED teachers’ expertise to determine what new educators need most, such as:
- Navigating new caseloads
- Developing collaborative routines with co-teachers
- Learning how to interpret and respond to student data
- Select mentors intentionally. Choose educators who demonstrate strong instructional practice, effective caseload management, and the capacity to build trust.
- Ensure mentors and new teachers have time together for observing, planning, asking questions, problem-solving in real time.
- Whenever possible, choose mentors who do not also conduct formal evaluations to encourage vulnerability and honest reflection.
Investing in mentorship tells new teachers: You’re not alone. You have someone in your corner.
Interested in learning more? Check out our Teacher Retention Report.
✨Remember: Special educators show up every day for students who need them most. When school leaders intentionally support, develop, and invest in them, they don’t just improve retention, they build schools where diverse learners thrive, teachers feel valued, and strong teams stay together.