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Unequal and Maybe Inequitable: Emergency Permitted Special Education Teachers in Pennsylvania

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Title: Unequal and Maybe Inequitable: Emergency Permitted Special Education Teachers in Pennsylvania
Language: English
Authors: Allison Gilmour (ORCID 0000-0002-6189-7099), Equia Aniagyei-Cobbold, Roddy Theobald (ORCID 0000-0002-5479-4147)
Source: Teacher Education and Special Education. 2026 49(2):134-155.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Contract Number: R324C240002
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Equal Education, Special Education Teachers, Emergency Programs, Teacher Shortage, Special Education, Teacher Supply and Demand, Diversity (Faculty), Teacher Characteristics, Teacher Distribution, Institutional Characteristics, Teacher Certification, Educational Policy, State Policy, Teacher Qualifications
Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania
DOI: 10.1177/08884064251409674
ISSN: 0888-4064
1944-4931
Abstract: Worsening staffing challenges in special education have led to increased reliance on emergency permits to staff special education positions, but there is little large-scale quantitative evidence about special education teachers (SETs) who entered the workforce with emergency permits. We used longitudinal data from Pennsylvania to study the composition, distribution, and stability of emergency permitted special education teachers (EPSETs). EPSETs were more racially and ethnically diverse than other novice SETs, and they disproportionately taught in schools serving more historically disadvantaged students. EPSETs of color were more likely to leave the workforce and were less likely to transition to full certification than other EPSETs, as were EPSETs in schools with higher percentages of students of color in a district. Efforts to retain and fully credential EPSETs of color and EPSETs in harder-to-staff schools are one mechanism to improve the racial and ethnic diversity of the SET workforce and address special education staffing challenges.
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502056
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Unequal and Maybe Inequitable: Emergency Permitted Special Education Teachers in Pennsylvania
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Allison+Gilmour%22">Allison Gilmour</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6189-7099">0000-0002-6189-7099</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Equia+Aniagyei-Cobbold%22">Equia Aniagyei-Cobbold</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Roddy+Theobald%22">Roddy Theobald</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5479-4147">0000-0002-5479-4147</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Teacher+Education+and+Special+Education%22"><i>Teacher Education and Special Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 49(2):134-155.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 22
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Special+Education+Teachers%22">Special Education Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emergency+Programs%22">Emergency Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Shortage%22">Teacher Shortage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Special+Education%22">Special Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Supply+and+Demand%22">Teacher Supply and Demand</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diversity+%28Faculty%29%22">Diversity (Faculty)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Characteristics%22">Teacher Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Distribution%22">Teacher Distribution</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Characteristics%22">Institutional Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Certification%22">Teacher Certification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22State+Policy%22">State Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Qualifications%22">Teacher Qualifications</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pennsylvania%22">Pennsylvania</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/08884064251409674
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  Data: 0888-4064<br />1944-4931
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Worsening staffing challenges in special education have led to increased reliance on emergency permits to staff special education positions, but there is little large-scale quantitative evidence about special education teachers (SETs) who entered the workforce with emergency permits. We used longitudinal data from Pennsylvania to study the composition, distribution, and stability of emergency permitted special education teachers (EPSETs). EPSETs were more racially and ethnically diverse than other novice SETs, and they disproportionately taught in schools serving more historically disadvantaged students. EPSETs of color were more likely to leave the workforce and were less likely to transition to full certification than other EPSETs, as were EPSETs in schools with higher percentages of students of color in a district. Efforts to retain and fully credential EPSETs of color and EPSETs in harder-to-staff schools are one mechanism to improve the racial and ethnic diversity of the SET workforce and address special education staffing challenges.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1502056
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1502056
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/08884064251409674
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 134
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Equal Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Special Education Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emergency Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Shortage
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Special Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Supply and Demand
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Diversity (Faculty)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Distribution
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Institutional Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Certification
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: State Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Qualifications
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pennsylvania
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Unequal and Maybe Inequitable: Emergency Permitted Special Education Teachers in Pennsylvania
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          Name:
            NameFull: Allison Gilmour
      – PersonEntity:
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            NameFull: Equia Aniagyei-Cobbold
      – PersonEntity:
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            NameFull: Roddy Theobald
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              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 1944-4931
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              Value: 49
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              Value: 2
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            – TitleFull: Teacher Education and Special Education
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