Special Ed. Teacher Shortage Targeted

Two organizations devoted to the needs of children with disabilities are leading an effort to address shortages of special education teachers and other professionals in the field.

The fledgling organization, the National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special Education and Related Services, has met four times since its formation in August, said Susan T. Karr, the director of state education practices for the Bethesda, Md.-based American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association, or ASHA, which is one of the coalition’s leaders.

The coalition has ambitions to pool the resources of several different organizations to tackle the complex...