Special Education Teachers in Residence: New Teachers for the Prairie

Abstract

Rural schools face unique challenges recruiting teachers. Rural school administrators report difficulties finding qualified applicants. Unique challenges rural special education teachers face, e.g., working with a more diverse group of students including those with significant disabilities, heighten the difficulties rural administrators experience when recruiting and retaining qualified special education teachers. Leveraging university/rural school partnerships, e.g., resident teacher university/school partnerships, can help rural schools recruit and retain qualified special education teachers. This article describes the Teachers College Special Education Fellowship Program (TCSEFP), a virtual residency in teaching program. This program established virtual partnerships between the university and numerous rural school districts throughout the state. The article includes a description of the program, evaluation data, and implications for other virtual university/school residency in teaching programs.