Inside Special Education: Two Decades in the Snake Pit

Inside Special Education: Two Decades in the Snake PitTeaching Special Education ought to be an immensely rewarding career, but more often than not it's just the opposite. Despite the fact that nationwide the median pay for a Special Ed. teacher is comparable to that of a police officer's, well over half of new Special Ed. teachers quit within three years. Why is that so? The answer isn't all that complicated. Some get burnt out, but the vast majority get driven out. Once you fail as a Special Ed.

Teaching Special Education ought to be an immensely rewarding career, but more often than not it's just the opposite. Despite the fact that nationwide the median pay for a Special Ed. teacher is comparable to that of a police officer's, well over half of new Special Ed. teachers quit within three years. Why is that so? The answer isn't all that complicated. Some get burnt out, but the vast majority get driven out.

Once you fail as a Special Ed. teacher, it's hard to get back up again and move on. Not only is your reputation shattered, but your confidence may be completely destroyed. The author spent 20 years in what he calls "the snake pit" and, as any good journalist would do, he documented everything that happened. Before you even THINK of becoming a Special Ed. teacher, or if you have a child in a Special Ed. program, you need to read this book.