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Abstract

The United States is experiencing a drastic teacher shortage nationwide, in rural locations and in specialized areas like special education, science, and math. Rural special education teacher positions often go unfulfilled or are staffed with untrained, and often unqualified, individuals with little to no experience in education, leaving the most vulnerable students in a precarious educational placement. This position paper identifies one solution to address the special education teacher shortage in rural areas: recruit military veterans into special education teacher preparation programs. Characteristics of military veterans that make them ideal special education teacher candidates are identified, and a pathway is proposed for those interested in transferring the skills and dispositions attained during military service to the special education classroom.

Keywords

special education teacher qualities rural teacher shortage military veteran

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Addressing the Teacher Shortage in Rural Areas With Military Veteran Teacher Candidates

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Keywords

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References