July 19, 2017, WIBQ FM, Terre Haute, IN: Danville, IL Facing Special Ed Teacher Shortage
http://wibqam.com/news/articles/2017/jul/19/danville-il-facing-special-ed-teacher-shortage/
The 2017-18 school year is less than a month away, and right now Danville District 118 still has 17 special education positions to fill.
The shortage means the district may have to get creative to fill the vacancies and keep them from leaving.
To do so they say they’re trying to strike a deal with the teacher’s union to offer higher salaries and special incentives for those vacancies.
The district found itself in a similar predicament last year as well.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.