African Americans make up more than 25% of the students in special education, but account for less than 10% of the teachers in special education and 5% of the faculty in higher education special education. The reasons for the shortages of African American personnel in special education are diverse, but most can be explained largely in terms of poor academic and financial support. Much has been said of the "leaking academic pipeline that fails to produce African Americans for university faculty positions. This article revisits this issue, identifies glitches in the system, and specifies possible steps to be taken by universities that ultimately would lead to more African American professionals in special education higher education.
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