Abby Cypher is the executive director of the Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education.
âIf people are not in a good place when they come to work, or if students aren t in a place where they can access learning. What we teach is sort of irrelevant,â Cypher said.
She believes teacher shortages and burnout needs to be address in the state right away.
That is why the MI Blueprint for Comprehensive Student Recovery, that came out this week, is important. The first thing that the blueprint talks about is wellness, Cypher said.
The blueprint was released by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week. It was created by the Student Recovery Advisory Council and contains evidence-based recommendations to help districts and schools recover from the pandemic.
Special education teacher shortage worries Michigan educators
FLINT, Michigan (WNEM) A shortage of special education teachers in Michigan is growing worse during the pandemic.
That shortage is prompting the state to loosen restrictions just to fill gaps, but those directly affected by the problem say the state needs to act before the problem gets out of hand.
“It was a 40 percent increase in retirement from last year’s numbers,” said Kate Dupuis, a special education elementary teacher at Carrollton Public Schools.
Dupuis said the statewide teacher shortage is bad and getting worse. She’s also a mother to a daughter with special needs.
ANN ARBOR, MI (MPRN) The Michigan Department of Education is offering an option to help school districts deal with a shortage of special education teachers.
The MDE will allow a one-year, renewable waiver that enables a district to use special education teachers in a special education classroom even if they don t have the same specialty area.
The goal is to reduce the use of substitute teachers for special education.
Abby Cypher heads the Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education.
“I think we re being given flexibility to really put people in positions who are a right fit for the position and can support our students needs,” she says.
Credit WoodleyWonderWorks / Flickr
The Michigan Department of Education is offering an option to help school districts deal with what State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice calls a critical shortage of special education teachers in many Michigan school districts.
The MDE will allow a time limited waiver that enables a district to temporarily fill a vacancy in a special education classroom with a special education teacher whose specialty area - formally called an endorsement - differs from the classroom with an open slot.
The goal is to reduce reliance on substitute teachers in special education programs. Allowing for some flexibility will help districts better staff their classrooms and meet the needs of our students with disabilities, said Rice in a written statement.