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In the last few years the requirement for qualified educators has boomed rapidly. In fact, with the rise in education standards and the number of educational institutes and schools, the education industry expects to look for more qualified educators in the coming years. Today, we cannot deny the fact that education is an extremely rewarding career field but currently it demands more qualified teachers to educate children at the elementary school or college level.

Looking at the present scenario, educators or teachers require special skills that can be nurtured through intensive training. Addressing to meet this demand, special education degrees have increased its popularity in recent years. So, if you are already involved in this teaching profession and wish to advance your career in the education leadership, a special education degree is a necessity.

Today where teaching is considered as a highly noble profession, attaining a degree in special education can enhance your teaching career. A special education program can even help you learn special skills including understanding diversity, teaching reading literacy, counseling and special education. During this course, you will receive training and educational information that educates you how to translate the knowledge to the students. Once you complete this special education program, you will be able to make decisions and take a stand on political issues that affect education and learning.

Another good thing about this degree program is that it gives teachers more opportunities in private schools and universities. This special education course provides you with one of the most convenient ways to gain higher income and greater career opportunities in the field of education. Today, in fact many of the employed teaching professionals looking to advance their career to leadership roles like principal or dean are considering attaining a degree in special education.

There are lots of institutions and schools that offer degree programs in special education. They can vary from student behavior management, institutionalized learning methods, student-teacher supervision, specific areas and solutions for effective child education and more.

The acquisition on an online degree in special education can aid you in acquiring better career opportunities and going for well-paying jobs. But before enrolling in a college or university, make sure that it is accredited. If you can, try to get feedback from individuals who have completed the program.

School districts are required by federal law to pay for a large portion of special education programs and services.  These programs and services cannot be altered or cut in any way because it is federally mandated, unlike all other programs for the rest of the students. The short explanation is that federal law mandates it, as set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act  [20 USC 1400 et seq.].  This law, also called IDEA, enumerates the required needs for students with disabilities.  We all agree that students with special needs must be accommodated, additional care is necessary.  However, most of us do not know the details of the funding and spending on this issue.   In addition to the IDEA federal mandate, the State of California also sets forth special education funding apportionment in its Assembly Bill 602 SELPA [AB 602].

If you read these codes on its face and believe that the state and federal government will fund the programs as set forth in the requirements, then you’re not alone.  Must of us assume that this mandated federal and state law will come from separate federal and state funds.  Most people who I asked assumed that special education is funded entirely by federal government disability funds.  It does make sense since it is a federally mandated requirement.  The state and federal statutes require schools to provide ”free and appropriate public education” for special education students.

Here is the shocking news, local school districts are responsible for this “free and appropriate public education.”  In fact, IDEA section 1400(c)(6) cites that states and local education agencies are responsible for providing the education for students with disabilities, but that the Federal Government will have a role [emphasis added] in assisting the state and local education agencies.

If you sample a school district’s budget, you will find for example [PVPUSD] it receives $5,049M from the state [AB 602] in addition to the federal IDEA grant which is approximately $2M.  However, the actual costs for the special education programs in this district total approximately $22M.  This district has reported a deficit spending for special education in the sum of $12.5M which is almost double the amount it receives in funding from the federal government and state, combined.  This school district has to find and fund $12.5M in excess of the sum provided by the government funding.

How could special education needs add up to such a colossal amount and cause such a deficit for local school districts? In the code, you will find that required programs such as one-on-one aids are mandatory for each qualifying special needs child. Transportation, specialized at-home care and a host of other services are also required under the law.

I asked the California Department of Education why local school districts are not receiving more funding for special education requirements.  I asked how the local special education funding from the state is apportioned.  Becky Robinson of the CDE Special Education Department stated that “all funds, federal or state, must be approved by the governor.”  I checked, she is right.  The Budget Act of 2008-2009 AB 1781 (chapter 268) sets forth the budget for special education as determined by the state budget and the governor.

At a time when teachers and administrative staff are being laid off en masse, it is difficult to understand why school districts are forced to spend an additional $12.5M on special education program requirements, when state budget cuts are forcing school districts to cut teachers and programs elsewhere.  $12.5M could solve all of the local budget woes and keep the teaching and administrative staff employed for the benefit of the entire school.  The answer is that special education programs are depleting the school districts’ budgets as administrators make cuts to prioritize the federally mandated programs for special education.

Another item for budget in the statute that I should mention, is the special needs education conflict and dispute resolution.  There are law firms that specialize in representing students with disabilities and negotiate the settlement for district’s alleged failure to comply with the established statutes and regulations under the federally mandated IDEA.  This means that the statutes for special education inherently set forth guidelines for legal action following administrative proceedings should a parent identify a violation of their child’s “free and appropriate public education.”

Many school districts have greatly suffered from lawsuits brought by parents who claim that their special needs child’s rights were not met under the code.  Case in point, Porter v. Board of Trustees of Manhattan Beach Unified School District et al., 307 F. 3d 1064 (9th Cir. 2002), 537 U.S. 1194, 123 S. Ct. 1303, 154 L. Ed. 2nd 1029 (2003).

In the case of Porter, the parents of a student, who had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, charged that  Manhattan Beach Unified School District failed to provide their child with a “free appropriate public education.”   This lawsuit resulted in the school district paying over $6.7M to the family of the student.  In addition, as part of the settlement, control of the student’s education was transferred to a Special Master, Ivor Weiner, Ph.D., resulting in the cost of just under $1.1M to pay for the education of the student at the direction of the Special Master.

The problem is that whether or not this school district properly complied with the federally mandated programs and services for this student, the school district was forced to make cuts elsewhere to pay for this legal settlement.   Why has the federal government mandated such broad standards for special education and then leave local school districts to oversee, manage and fund these programs?

Since the subject of budgets and special education is not a topic that people are willing to discuss, reform in this regard is unlikely.  Certainly, special education programs and services are not to blame for this problem.  This problem belongs squarely on the lap of the federal government under the mandated IDEA laws.

How will the master online special education degree equip those teachers who want to make a difference? The answer is straightforward – in the USA, currently there are over 6 million students who have enrolled in these special programs.
While schools – public and private, preschool to secondary – struggle to identify and deploy qualified teachers to address these 6 million students, nobody knows for sure how many million students more need to be identified for special classes, so that they can better cope with their learning disabilities, or physical and mental handicaps.
At the same time, successive Federal and State Administrations since 1975 have sharpened their focus on creating complex systems for identifying, formulating, and delivering a highly-individualized education program to each eligible student. The cornerstone of these legislations, programs, and licensures is the highly qualified teacher.
A Master’s degree in has thus become a must for aspiring teachers, and with many of them already employed as regular teachers, master online special education degree has become the most convenient route to this profession.
What It Involves
Master online special education degree involves distance or online learning that leads to graduate degrees like Master of Education (MEd), Master of Science (MS), Master of Arts (MA), or any of the specialized master’s degrees in various sub-domains, such as dyslexia, attention-deficit, etc.
Master online special education degree courses will last upwards of one year, and might involve significant on-the-job training under an experienced special educator. Most states also require that aspiring teachers pass a licensure test, before starting their career.
Why Special Education?
On an average, teachers in this field don’t earn much more than regular teachers. On the other hand, the job responsibilities of these teachers are more demanding – they can even include defending oneself and the school’s program in court, if dissatisfied parents of challenged students opt for litigation, as has happened numerous times in various states!
Still, about 450,000 educators have opted for and currently work as special education teachers in the country. What must be the attraction?
Teachers in this field are very unlikely to encounter unemployment in the short-term or long-term. But that alone can’t be the lure to enter this profession, where sheer hard work, difficult coordination between many, and uncertain outcomes from the part of students, make life stressful.
The answer can, hence, be only that there are hundreds of thousands of teachers out there who want to make a genuine difference to the lives of these challenged students. And it is indeed a huge difference. According to estimates, four in five challenged students used to be excluded from the US education system, as near as three decades back. Official figures, tabulated around 1975, put this at 1 million students, who missed the bus.
Why Master Special Education Degree?
Teachers in this specialty are still in significant short supply. Because of this, some states have still not made it mandatory for them to have a master’s degree. In such states, bachelor’s degree holders appear for professional licensure exams and work as special education teachers.
However, more and more states are opting for a master’s degree as the minimum qualification, for a simple reason. A special ed. teacher should be capable of interacting effectively with professionals like psychologists, disability therapists, educational evaluators, educational lawyers, supervisors from the school district, regular teachers, and, of course parents of disabled students. It takes a master’s degree holder with significant on-the-job training to confidently undertake this.
Master’s degree holders in this field have also another booming avenue – they can work as instructors in colleges and universities that deliver specialized programs, and these institutions are rapidly increasing in number. They are also eligible to work as supervisors or administrators in the school districts.
A small but significant proportion of educators go for ‘ degree, so as to progress to doctoral degrees, which are also offered by more and more universities, these days.
Lastly, though special education teachers don’t earn much more than regular teachers on an average, the highest salaries drawn by special educators exceed the highest salaries drawn by regular teachers by $3,000 to $8,000. It goes without saying that almost all of those highest paid special educators are master’s degree holders.
Why Master Online Special Education Degree?
Those planning to take a master’s degree in this field are almost always regular teachers who have developed a fascination for this field. Others include psychologists, counselors, learning disability therapists, etc. Since both teachers and these professionals already hold full time jobs, it is a master online special education degree that is more suitable to them.
Secondly, only an exceptionally good regular teacher can hope to be an effective teacher of special students. Because of this, aspirants enter the regular teaching profession to garner some years of experience before attempting to study special ed. Master online special education degree perfectly fits this scheme.
Thirdly, a significant component of any education master’s degree is on-the-job training in a special school or a regular school’s special education department. Those working teachers who opt for a master online degree can thus modify their school work itself for the on-the-job training part.
Where to Study Master Online Special Education Degree?
Hundreds of universities and colleges across the country offer master online degrees in special ed. They include state or public universities, and private or independent universities. Some of the courses have small components that require occasional campus visits, while almost all require on-the-job training at a school.
Working teachers who opt for master online special education degree generally prefer studying in their own state, if not their city. Another reason for local preference is that some universities incorporate that state’s licensure requirements as part of the course. Due to strict licensure requirements, it is also important to go for an accredited course.
State or Public Universities Offering Master Online Special Education Degree
At least 12 state university systems offer master online degree in special ed. They include Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Aspirants in states like Alabama, Florida, and Kansas, are especially fortunate, with multiple public universities offering the course. Florida perhaps tops the nation with its three public universities offering this degree. Some of the prestigious state universities offering the course across the nation are:
ALABAMA: Auburn University, Auburn, University of South Alabama, Mobile

FLORIDA: Florida State University, University of Central Florida, University of West Florida

INDIANA: Ball State University

KANSAS: Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University

KENTUCKY: University of Louisville, Louisville

MICHIGAN: University of Michigan, Dearborn

MISSOURI: University of Missouri, Columbia

NEBRASKA: University of Nebraska, Lincoln

NEW JERSEY: New Jersey City University

NORTH CAROLINA: University of North Carolina

PENNSYLVANIA: Clarion University of Pennsylvania

TEXAS: Texas Tech University
Private or Independent Universities Offering Online Degrees
At least 10 well-known private or independent universities in 8 states offer master online special education degree. These states include Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. Arizona and Iowa top the list with two private universities each, offering the course. Florida and Pennsylvania are perhaps the only two states that have both public and private universities offering the course. Some of the well-known private schools offering online degrees are:
ARIZONA: Grand Canyon University, University of Phoenix

CALIFORNIA: La Sierra University

FLORIDA: Nova Southeastern University

IOWA: Graceland University, Kaplan University

MINNESOTA: Bethel University

VIRGINIA: Regent University

WASHINGTON: City University
What to Expect From Master Online Special Education Degree, in the Future?
The high performance expected from special edd teachers will ensure that a master’s degree in this field becomes an absolute must in all states. As it is working teachers who are more likely to go for a master’s degree in this subject, and because the course itself is dominated by on-the-job training, college degree master online might even upstage regular courses in the subject, in the near future.
Recent stricter regulations from the part of administrations regarding expected student performance, and better awareness about learning disabilities from the part of parents, will make sure that more and more students will be presented for evaluation. This scenario will drive the demand for qualified and trained special educators, giving further momentum to master online special ed. degree courses.
The most likely change in course content will be super-specializations in special education, with probably different master’s degrees built around different learning disabilities or handicaps.