Special Education

Every special education teacher makes a big impact — but Florida public schools will need an extra 2,500 of them for the upcoming academic year. WLRN looks at a federally funded program at the University of Central Florida that offers a free master's degree in special education in exchange for a teaching commitment.

Florida started the year with 7,000 teacher vacancies, according to the Florida Education Association.

The proposal would increase the number of students this school year while also placing a higher cap on the number of ESE students next year. The Senate is slated to vote on the issue Wednesday.

Schools contending with soaring student mental health needs and other challenges have been struggling to determine just how much COVID is to blame. Are emotional struggles the sign of a disability that will impair their learning?

Last spring, the coronavirus pandemic forced schools across the state to shut down, and teachers to move their lessons online, which Denise Wilson said was a struggle from the start for her son Brady. He is among the nearly 15% of public school students in Florida who have a disability and receive special education services.

The Florida Legislature is moving ahead with a measure that will increase the number of children eligible for vouchers that pay for special education...