| A major issue affecting many school systems is the attrition of teachers, especially special education teachers, who rank among the most needed across the country. Rural Georgia is no exception. This problem appears to be growing as schools attempt to hire enough special education teachers to supervise established classrooms. This study used a descriptive survey of special education teachers in rural Georgia (specifically the Heart of Georgia RESA district) to assess perceptions of their school environments and workplace conditions and how mentoring affected these perceptions. The survey was created using questions developed by Project ReSpecT of the University of South Carolina (2003). The project also looked at how mentoring affects the retention of surveyed special education teachers. The study found that many of the beginning special education teachers in the Heart of Georgia RESA district are satisfied with their jobs and school climates. However, the lack of parent support and the burden of paperwork were issues mentioned by many of the respondents. In addition, mentoring these subjects during their first year of teaching does significantly impact their decision to remain in teaching after one year. |
