Birmingham, AL: $1.5M plan to recruit SPED teachers; "more students need intensive support"

Sept 24, 2026 ABC 33, Birmingham, AL: BCS can’t find enough special-ed teachers. A new $1.5M plan aims to change that

Birmingham City Schools says traditional recruiting efforts have failed to produce candidates for some of its hardest-to-fill special education teaching positions, while the district is also seeing more students who require intensive classroom support.

Now, BCS is considering a new approach that could cost up to $1.5 million to recruit and develop as many as 20 special education teachers.

The proposal is one of several special education expenditures discussed during a Board of Education work session Monday that together show the staffing and financial pressures facing the district as it works to meet students' individual needs.

“We didn't yield any candidates for this department,” a district official told board members while discussing previous recruitment fairs.

Up to $1.5 million to build a teacher pipeline

BCS is considering a partnership with University Instructors, which recently changed its name to Unlimited Instruction, to address what the district described as “critical staffing shortages.”

The contract would cost no more than $1.5 million and initially focus on special education. District officials said BCS could eventually consider using the model for traditional classroom positions.

Rather than simply finding already-certified teachers, the company told the board it recruits people from the community and helps put them on a pathway toward becoming licensed special education teachers.

Candidates can initially work in schools as long-term substitutes or paraprofessionals while completing certification requirements. The company provides training, preparation for required Praxis exams, on-site coaching and enrollment in an alternative teacher preparation program. It also pays candidates' tuition.

The provider told the board candidates could potentially become eligible for a conditional certificate within four to five months, depending on their previous coursework and testing. The program is generally designed to continue throughout the school year, with the goal of transitioning participants into fully licensed teachers.

If 20 participants started around Oct. 19, the company estimated the cost at roughly $74,000 per teacher. BCS would be billed for services provided rather than paying the entire amount upfront.

The district later clarified the $1.5 million agreement would be funded with state and local funds, rather than federal IDEA money as initially listed.

BCS: More students need intensive support

At the same meeting, district leaders said they are spending more than anticipated on classroom and behavioral aides for special education students.

BCS is seeking approval for $3,450,146.03 in amended expenditures involving contracts with ESS and Therapeutic Specialist Services. The contractors provide paraprofessionals and behavioral aides for students requiring specialized classroom support.

“We've had a significant uptick in the number of students that we are having to support with specialized services and specifically paraprofessionals and aides in our classrooms,” a district official told the board.

Officials said those needs extend beyond the regular school day and school year, with students also participating in after-school programs, intersession and summer school.

The district said that contributed to expenditures exceeding what BCS had projected for fiscal year 2026.

The discussion did not clearly establish how much of the $3.45 million represents spending above the district's original authorization, so ABC 33/40 is not characterizing the full amount as a budget overrun.

Some students require services BCS cannot provide itself

A third proposal demonstrates how expensive services can become for a relatively small number of students with particularly intensive needs.

BCS is considering a contract of up to $450,000 with Glenwood, which provides educational services for students with autism and behavioral disorders.

The district spent approximately $300,000 with Glenwood last year. BCS said it increased the potential contract amount this year because the number of students needing the service increased.

Three BCS students are currently receiving services through Glenwood, and two more have been referred.

“Wow. That's a lot of money,” one board member said after hearing the number of students potentially involved.

District officials stressed that the students sent to Glenwood have highly specialized needs.

“The students that the district refers to Glenwood, the district has either exhausted the capacity to be able to support those students or they've been referred through us through other outside agencies and we don't have the capacity to support the students,” a BCS official explained.

Those students may require one-on-one instruction and additional services beyond what BCS can provide in its existing programs.

The district said the goal is ultimately to help students progress to a point where they can return to a BCS school when appropriate. Officials described one student who had previously received services at Glenwood but has since returned to the district as a “success story.”

BCS said it has also increased its own capacity to serve students with intensive needs through a district program at West Center Street, allowing some students to remain within the school system. Officials acknowledged, however, that there are still cases where a student's needs exceed the services the district can provide.

A staffing problem meets growing student needs

Taken together, the proposals show two challenges confronting Birmingham City Schools at the same time: finding enough people to provide special education services and meeting increasing demand for intensive support.

The district is considering spending up to $1.5 million to create a new pathway into special education teaching while relying on outside contractors for classroom aides and specialized services it cannot always provide internally.

The teacher-pipeline provider told board members the problem is not unique to Birmingham, describing special education positions as among the hardest teaching jobs to fill nationally.

For Birmingham families whose children receive special education services, the proposals ultimately involve more than contracts and staffing numbers. Federal law requires schools to provide eligible students with services outlined through their individualized education programs.

The challenge now facing BCS is finding enough qualified people to deliver those services as the district says the number of students requiring intensive support continues to grow.