Four Strategies for Enhancing Principal Assistance to Special Education Instructors
Transforming Special Education Leadership: Empowering Teachers and Building Stronger Schools
In a bid to improve the support and empowerment of special education teachers, a new framework has been developed by education dean, Natasha Veale. The Transforming Special Education Leadership (TSEL) aims to build and strengthen the leadership capacity of principals in schools across the country.
The TSEL framework encourages principals to focus on understanding special education beyond compliance, modeling best practices, and promoting ethical behavior. Principals are advised to share decision-making with special education teachers, encouraging problem-solving and innovative solutions to better cater to the unique needs of students with disabilities.
One of the key aspects of the TSEL framework is the emphasis on emotional support for special education teachers. Principals are encouraged to have frequent check-ins or more casual conversations to provide emotional support and recognise the challenges faced by these teachers.
Special education teachers often experience burnout due to heavy workloads and lack of resources and support. Moreover, many feel isolated in their school communities. To address these issues, principals are urged to empower special education teachers, recognising cultural differences among them, and including them in school-wide conversations and initiatives.
Principals are also advised to offer personalised feedback to special education teachers, but it is important to note that some principals may not possess enough background knowledge to provide proper feedback. To overcome this, principals are encouraged to meet with special education teachers more often to gain a better understanding of the different tools and strategies for students with different disabilities.
The TSEL framework also highlights the importance of promoting a positive school culture. Principals can announce specific accomplishments by the special education department to shine a light on the team's work, fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment among special education teachers.
However, the issue of staffing shortages in special education remains a concern. In the academic year 2023/24, 21% of public schools were not fully staffed with special education teachers at the start of the year. While specific data on which schools in Germany had shortages is not publicly detailed, it is clear that many regions reported a shortage of special education teachers nationwide.
The high rate of special education teachers leaving their roles is another challenge facing the education sector. To retain these valuable educators, it is essential that principals create an environment of support, empowerment, and shared decision-making. By implementing the TSEL framework, principals can work towards building stronger schools and fostering a culture of inclusivity and support for special education teachers.
