Exploring differences in job resources between special and general educators

The education of children with disabilities is a concern, given academic and social barriers they face in public schools. The promise of special education in the United States is education that is inclusive as possible and individually-tailored to student needs. I argue that the job resources teachers have access to within schools are important to living up to this goal. I wish to focus on whether there are differences in resources between special educators and general educators.

In Chapter 2, I explore differences in job resources between general educators and special educators within American public schools. I find that there is a gap in collaboration and cooperation, with special educators on average experiencing less collaboration and cooperation with other teachers compared to general educators. In Chapter 3, I explore this gap further, examining whether this difference in collaboration and cooperation is affected by principal leadership choices and school poverty level. Few changes in collaborative resources occur, suggesting that these gaps between special and general educators in collaboration exist in multiple types of schools. In Chapter 4, I examine whether there are differences in satisfaction, stress, and teacher turnover between special educators and general educators since these are often related to collaboration. While no differences occur in stress or satisfaction, special educators are more likely to leave their teaching position for another position than general educators. Finally, in Chapter 5, I use interviews with special educators and related staff to explore their own perceptions and experiences of collaboration.