Teacher burnout is real, especially for special educators. Here’s what the research tells us and what schools can actually do to help.

Burnout in education isn’t new and we know special education teachers face unique and compounding challenges that put them at greater risk of leaving the profession altogether. Research has consistently shown that special educators leave the profession at higher rates than their general education peers, especially in high-need urban and rural schools. So what’s really behind this exodus and, more pressingly, what can we do about it?

The State of Special Education Teacher Retention

Studies estimate that 40% to 50% of all teachers leave the profession within the first five years (Ingersoll, 2003; Grissmer & Kirby, 1997). For special educators, the numbers are even starker: over half either leave the field or switch to general education within just four years (McLeskey et al., 2004). And when they work in urban or remote rural areas, the turnover rates spike further (Goldring, Taie, & Riddles, 2014).

This kind of turnover is more than just disruptive. High turnover rates lower student achievement, hurt school climate, and weaken social-emotional outcomes for students (Ronfeldt et al., 2012; RAND, 2012; Gershenson, 2016).

What Drives Special Educators to Leave?

Research has identified a mix of professional and personal factors contributing to attrition. Special educators report:

  • High daily stress (Gallup, 2014)

  • A lack of administrative support (Kozleski, Mainzer, & Deshler, 2001)

  • Excessive paperwork

  • Feelings of professional isolation

Billingsley (2004) found that the more support special educators receive, whether from administrators, colleagues, or mentoring programs, the more likely they are to stay. Harris-Looby et al. (2017) also identified key motivators for those who stay, including a sense of personal calling and deep emotional investment in their students. These motivators align closely with what we now understand as the social and emotional learning (SEL) needs of teachers themselves.

The Role of Mentorship

One proven way to support new special educators is through mentoring. But not all mentorship is created equal.

While most new public school teachers are assigned a mentor, only 76.7% of those in high-need schools receive this support and of those, over one-third report that their mentors were not very helpful (BTLS, 2009).

Even when mentorship is available, it may not be effective. Studies suggest that the quality of the mentor match, the content of the support, and the mentor’s own training can make or break the experience (Billingsley, Carlson, & Klein, 2004; Whitaker, 2000).

Research by Ingersoll & Strong (2011) found that strong induction and mentoring programs improve teacher commitment, classroom practice, and even student achievement.   Roster (2019) found that with the right SEL mentoring supports, special educators are better able to manage their own SEL competencies and have more positive thoughts of staying in the profession.

Why Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Teachers Matters

Teaching is emotionally demanding work, and for special educators, the emotional labor is even greater. SEL helps teachers manage that emotional complexity. It equips them with skills in self-awareness, stress management, decision-making, and relationship-building.

Yet most teacher prep programs don’t offer explicit instruction in socio-emotional learning for teachers. Even though SEL is increasingly embedded in certification standards across states, coursework on educators’ own emotional needs remains limited (Schonert-Reichl et al., 2017).

But the potential is huge. Teachers who are supported in developing their own SEL skills show improved well-being, stronger instructional practices, and higher student outcomes (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). As SEL becomes more integrated into K-12 classrooms, teacher well-being must be part of that equation.

Where Do We Go From Here?

If we want special educators to not only stay in the field but to thrive, we need to rethink what support actually looks like. That means:

  • Better mentorship programs, especially in high-need schools

  • Explicit SEL skill-building for teachers, especially with a focus on self-management skills (Roster, 2019)

  • Systemic support for emotional resilience, not just compliance

The research is clear: teachers are the most important school-based factor in student achievement. Keeping great special educators in the field is not just a matter of retention but it’s a matter of equity and excellence.

Let’s not just ask teachers to stay. Let’s give them a reason to.

References:

  • Andrews & Brown, 2015

  • Beltman, Mansfield & Price, 2011

  • Billingsley, 2004; 2005

  • BTLS, 2009

  • Darling-Hammond & Sclan, 1996

  • Durlak et al., 2011

  • Gallup, 2014

  • Goldrick et al., 2012

  • Goldring, Taie, & Riddles, 2014

  • Grissmer & Kirby, 1997

  • Harris-Looby et al., 2017

  • Ingersoll, 2003; Ingersoll & Strong, 2011

  • Jennings & Greenberg, 2009

  • Jones, Greenberg & Crowley, 2015

  • Kozleski, Mainzer, & Deshler, 2001

  • Mason & White, 2006

  • McLeskey et al., 2004

  • NCES, 2006

  • RAND, 2012

  • Radford & Moir, 2017

  • Ronfeldt et al., 2011; 2012

  • Roster, 2019

  • Schonert-Reichl et al., 2017

  • Whitaker, 2000

Jaclyn Roster