Need for special education teachers causing concern for Green Country schools

It's been a years-long issue.

There are not enough educators to fill Oklahoma's classrooms.

With the day underway, this school year is no different.

Marisha McBrayer is a Tulsa Public Schools parent. All four of her children are enrolled in the district, with her younger two in Tulsa's Virtual Academy.

She said she's had a mostly positive experience with TPS, but her kids have definitely felt the strain.

“When he was in first grade, he went through about five different teachers in a year, and for her there were maybe three different teachers last year," she said.

• PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Green Country school districts working to hire hundreds of employees before the start of school

As of the day before their first day of school, Tulsa Public Schools was 95% fully staffed.

2 News reached out to over ten local districts to see where staffing sits.

Of the eight that replied, a common issue stuck out:

• Tulsa Public Schools needs 14 special education teachers.
• Sapulpa Public Schools needs two elementary special education teachers.
• Owasso Public Schools needs two special education teachers.
• Broken Arrow Public Schools needs 11 special education teachers.
• Jenks Public Schools needs one special education teacher.
• Glenpool Public Schools needs three special education teachers.
• Pryor Public Schools needs several special education teachers.

Union Public Schools has six openings, but did not elaborate on what positions they needed to fill.

• RELATED >>> Local teacher talks teaching special education, teacher shortages

Jenks Public School leaders said they will use an already employed educator to take on their unfilled position's responsibility.
It is unclear what the other districts will do to meet the need.

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