If you’re a special ed teacher, you already know—we love our students, but wow, this job asks a lot of us. On any given day, we’re lesson planning, managing behavior, running IEP meetings, tracking data, collaborating with every specialist under the sun, and then trying to squeeze in some actual teaching in between.
And the truth? Sometimes it feels like we’re doing all of it without the support we really need.
We don’t want fluff. We don’t need one more shiny program. What we’re craving are the everyday things that would make our jobs sustainable, so we can show up for our kids the way we want to.
Here are the supports so many of us are desperate for—and honestly, they’re not that complicated.
1. Supplies Without the Runaround
Raise your hand if you’ve ever spent weeks trying to track down something as basic as a stapler or tape.
It shouldn’t be this hard. We’re professionals. We shouldn’t have to beg, borrow, or buy with our own money just to get the simplest tools for our classrooms. Having an easy system for getting supplies would save us so much frustration—and free up mental space for teaching instead of chasing down paper clips.
2. Feeling Heard
One of the biggest things we crave? Just being listened to.
How many times have you spoken up about what your students need—or what you need—only to feel like your words went into a void? It’s exhausting. We don’t expect everything to be fixed overnight, but when admin actually hears us, validates our experiences, and follows up… it changes everything.
Sometimes support isn’t about stuff—it’s about respect.
3. Help With Academic Testing
Here’s the thing: testing has to get done. But it’s nearly impossible to carve out that much time during the day without throwing off the rest of your schedule.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to have someone whose role was dedicated to academic testing? Or at least a shared responsibility so it didn’t all fall on us? That kind of support would give us back hours we could spend teaching instead of scrambling.
4. Paras, Paras, Paras
If you’ve ever had a strong para in your room, you know how game-changing it is. Suddenly, you can run small groups, give kids the attention they deserve, and actually breathe for a second.
And let’s be real—we usually need more than one. It’s not about being greedy; it’s about being realistic. When the caseloads are heavy and the needs are diverse, one set of extra hands isn’t always enough.
5. Simple Tools That Change Everything
It doesn’t always take a big-ticket purchase to make a huge difference. Something as simple as headphones can be a lifeline—for the kid who needs text-to-speech, for the one who’s easily distracted, for the one who just needs to tune out the noise.
These aren’t “extras.” They’re essentials. And when we have access to tools like this, our kids can be more independent, and we can focus on teaching.
6. The Right Placement for Students
We bend over backward to meet our kids where they are—but when a student is placed in the wrong setting, it’s an uphill climb for everyone.
Having thoughtful, accurate placement processes (and the chance to give real input) would go a long way. When students are in the environments that fit their needs, they thrive—and so do we.
7. Consistency in Discipline
This one’s huge. Nothing derails a classroom faster than inconsistent follow-through on behavior.
We can set expectations all day long, but if policies aren’t backed up—or if consequences change depending on who’s handling them—it undercuts everything we’re trying to build. What we’re craving is consistency. Not harshness, not punishment. Just predictable, fair, steady follow-through.
8. A Real Curriculum
Why is it that so often we’re left piecing things together while general ed gets full curricula handed to them?
We shouldn’t have to spend hours pulling resources from five different places just to cobble together a lesson. Having a solid, adaptable curriculum designed for diverse learners would free up so much time—and make sure our students are actually getting a comprehensive education instead of bits and pieces.
9. Shared Responsibilities
Collaboration is the name of the game in special ed, but sometimes it feels like the load isn’t distributed evenly.
For example, why can speech therapists handle their own IEPs and scheduling, but OTs can’t? When every specialist carries their share of the paperwork and logistics, we all have more time to do the actual teaching and therapy our students need.
10. Actual Planning Time
And last but definitely not least: TIME.
Planning time is gold. But it’s also the first thing to go when something else comes up—an emergency, a meeting, coverage for another class. We end up planning at night, on weekends, or during lunch with a granola bar in hand.
We crave protected, dedicated planning time. Because when we’re prepared, our students benefit. And when we’re constantly scrambling? Everybody feels it.
The Bottom Line
Here’s the bottom line: we’re not asking for the moon. We’re asking for support that’s practical, meaningful, and totally doable. Supplies. Respect. Paras. Tools. Time.
Because when special ed teachers are supported, we can give our best to the kids who need us most. And that’s really what it’s all about.
We love this work. We love these students. We just need the right supports to keep doing it well.
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