As a new school year begins, many students are faced with the excitement—and challenges—of transitioning back to school. New teachers, new friends, and new routines can be overwhelming. BlazerWorks Speech Therapy Advisor Mary Kozyra, M.S., CCC-SLP recently shared some powerful strategies on WTSP Great Day Live to help kids with first-day jitters and transition smoothly back into school.

In honor or National Special Education Day, Whitney Threewits, M.Ed., BlazerWorks Special Education Advisor, talked with WISH-TV about the special education teacher shortage, her passion for the profession, and the importance of community involvement.

School districts across the country are facing a critical shortage of special education teachers. These shortages have significant consequences, resulting in larger class sizes for special education students. The special education teacher shortage not only affects the student-to-teacher ratio but also leads to special education students missing out on the crucial services they need and are entitled to by law. 

Alyson Maldonado, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech therapist and a BlazerWorks Clinical Special Education Advisory Team member. In her role, Alyson helps speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and their special education teams deliver the best services possible to students.

School districts across the country are navigating a perfect storm: persistent staffing shortages, unfinished learning, and rising student needs. Nowhere is this pressure felt more acutely than in special education, where individualized support is essential and resources are often stretched thin.

BlazerWorks’ Special Education Clinical Advisory Team offers crucial support and guidance to educators, school districts, and special education departments. BlazerWorks Advisory Services help schools find and retain specific, hard-to-fill special education professionals. The team works with school districts throughout the United States and visits schools frequently. As of June 2023, the team has already visited more than 200 school districts and has conducted more than 150 virtual meetings.