Special class staffing

A brief history of special education certification

Prior to 2004, there was one “All Grades” K–12 state certificate for special education. Teachers with this certificate could serve as special education teachers in any and all programs for students with disabilities. 

In 2004, the generic “All Grades” certificate was replaced with four certificates covering different grade bands. The SWD Grades 5–9 certificate was further broken down into a generalist certificate (for teachers in non-departmentalized programs) and content-specific titles. For the first time, teachers of students with disabilities in grades 7 to 12 were required to have content area preparation in addition to coursework in special education. 

Additional changes followed in 2011 and again in 2018–19 when the Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA) eliminated the highly qualified teacher (HQT) requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). See our special education teacher certification resources » 

In 2022, special education certification came full circle with the adoption of a new Students with Disabilities - All Grades Certificate. 

Current certification requirements

The new world of special education teacher certification is complicated. A fact sheet prepared by NYSUT, our New York State affiliate, explains the current New York State certification requirements for teachers of students with disabilities. In reading the narrative and reviewing the charts, you will note that biggest impact of the changes is on middle and high school teachers who teach regular assessment students in self-contained classes. This is because they are responsible for delivering both content area instruction and specially designed instruction addressing the students’ disability related needs. Changes potentially affecting all teachers include extensions of grade level bands.

Contract rights pertaining to assignment 

While many special education teachers are no longer have full-time special class programs, special education teachers at all levels still have the right to express a preference for program designation (ICT, self-contained, SETSS, etc.) and age range. Similarly, special education teachers at the middle and high school levels who are programmed for an unreasonable number of different courses, each requiring preparation, or multiple rooms in which to teach may use the reorganization grievance process to challenge their assignments in appropriate circumstances.