Sustaining the special education workforce: Gen Z edition

A focus on collective well-being over stress prevention or individual self-care can help new and current special educators stay engaged in the field.

At a Glance

The specific demands of teaching special education leaves educators open to burnout.
Despite a passion for teaching and a commitment to supporting students who need it, many Gen Zers express anxiety about becoming special educators.
Reducing burnout among special educators will require more than stress-reduction or self-care strategies.
A focus on collective well-being can help new educators recognize that they need care and can offer care.
Teacher educators, education leaders, coaches, and mentors can help new special educators center collective well-being in their professional practice.

The special education workforce is at a crossroads. Will we continue with business as usual, despite a generation gap and unsustainable work conditions, or can we reenvision how we prepare and support the next generation of special educators? For decades, there have been concerns about securing, training, and sustaining the special education workforce (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Nichols et al., 2008), but these concerns are now elevated to the point of crisis (García & Weiss, 2019).

Today’s special educators are expected to work under challenging conditions (Billingsley et al., 2020; O’Brien et al., 2019) without proper support or compensation (Andrews & Brown, 2015). They must navigate complex roles and responsibilities, such as upholding the legal requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and collaborating with a wide range of community members (Friend et al., 2010; Haines et al., 2015). Many special educators report feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and burned out (Brunsting, Sreckovic, & Lane, 2014; Cancio et al., 2018; Hester, Bridges, & Rollins, 2020).

Concerns about teacher burnout have made their way into popular media discourse (Grose, 2023; Wilkerson, 2024) and are impacting potential future teachers in Gen Z. Although they demonstrate a clear commitment to equity for students with disabilities and a passion for teaching, many Gen Zers express anxiety about entering a profession with such high rates of burnout and attrition. As we consider the future of the field of special education, we need to understand the strengths and needs of this incoming generation of special educators.

American Gen Z attributes

American Gen Z, referring generally to the 46.4 million people born in the U.S. from 1995 to 2012 (Stillman & Stillman, 2017), is composed of people currently between the ages of 15 and 30. They grew up in a world shaped by instant online communication and learning, and many socialize both online and face-to-face (Schweiger & Ladwig, 2018). They are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous U.S. generation (Southern Regional Education Board, 2024).

A review of research exploring how Gen Z functions in the workplace (Schweiger & Ladwig, 2018) found that, overall, American Gen Zers value working hard, recognition for their effort, independence, creativity, and flexibility. They seek trusting and respectful relationships with their employer, opportunities to excel, and ways to plan for their future and continue to learn. Many Gen Zers are attuned to fairness, including treating all people with respect through compensation and communication (Schweiger & Ladin, 2018).

Gen Zers are keenly aware of their mental health and much more willing to talk about it than previous generations (Armini, 2024). Gen Z also reports higher rates of stress, anxiety, and depression and many people describe work as a key source of stress (American Psychological Association, 2018). Given these concerns, it is no surprise that Gen Z is more likely than prior generations to prioritize interest, work-life balance, and opportunities to influence work outcomes when making career choices (Schroth, 2019).

Tensions between Gen Z and special education business as usual

Special educators are expected to conform to existing systems that are both bound by legal requirements (e.g., annual IEP meetings, timelines and processes for evaluation) and shaped by how specific schools and districts have interpreted and applied the law (e.g., format for IEP meetings, ways schools communicate with families). It can be difficult for new special educators to disentangle legal mandates from the habitual behaviors of veteran educators and to navigate tensions between their own vision for what it means to be a special educator and expectations in the field.

In recent years, the complexity of special educators’ roles has increased. More responsibilities have been added to the special educator workload without anything being removed (Hester et al., 2020). At the same time, the expectations of new educators are changing. Potential Gen Z special educators have different strengths, expectations, and desires than the special educators who preceded them.

As attrition rates of special education teachers soar, we must consider how we can shift our practices in teacher preparation and induction and sustain new teachers’ dedication to the profession (Billingsley, Carlson, & Klein, 2019; Kervick et al., 2025). We need to proactively address potential tensions between Gen Z’s expectations for their professional lives and our field’s current vision for what it means to be a special educator.

Misguided approaches to stress and well-being

Too often, conversations about the future of the special educator workforce focus solely on preventing negative outcomes, such as teacher stress or burnout. These conversations tend to treat teacher burnout and teacher well-being like two sides of the same coin or two ends of the same continuum, but these images are inaccurate (Brunsting et al., 2023). On the contrary, teacher well-being can be conceptualized “not as an absence of stress but rather the creation of an environment supportive of teachers’ emotional and physical needs” (Swatske et al., 2024, p. 65). If we want Gen Z special educators to enter and remain in the field, we need to be proactive about supporting their well-being.

Many efforts to promote well-being focus on encouraging people to engage in personal self-care. While individual practices are important, a focus on self-care can distract from addressing the root issues and working conditions that threaten teachers’ ability to continue in the profession. As Nakita Valerio (2019) posted on Twitter (now X) in the wake of a terrorist event targeting Muslims in New Zealand, “Shouting ‘self-care’ at people who actually need community care is how we fail people.” On the other hand, the concept of collective well-being recognizes that individuals’ well-being is tied to the strength and health of their communities.

Collective well-being for Gen Z teacher sustainability

Fundamental to the idea of collective well-being is a sense of belonging, community, or connection (Herrera et al., 2024; Roy et al., 2018). A focus on collective well-being prioritizes the formation of trusting relationships. Because so many Gen Zers experience isolation and loneliness despite the growth of online relationships, forming positive in-person relationships with colleagues is more important than ever. Trusting relationships with colleagues give new educators the strong informal support networks and positive school climate that are key to teacher retention (Billingsley, Carlson, & Klein, 2004; Hopkins, Bjorklund, & Spillane, 2019).

Framing special educator well-being and sustainability as a collective endeavor is likely to resonate with Gen Z workers who are interested in social justice and equality. Collective well-being centers the idea that the diversity of our communities is an asset. We all have help to offer and help to receive, and we heal and strengthen our communities by sharing our diverse skills and resources. To sustain new Gen Z special educators, we need to proactively foster inclusion and respect for diversity within our school communities — at the teacher level, not just for students.

We also need to create communities where people feel cared for. As Leah Piepzna-Samarasinha (2018) writes:

Collective care means shifting our organizations to be ones where people feel fine if they get sick, cry, have needs, start late because the bus broke down, move slower, ones where there’s food at meetings, people work from home — and these aren’t things we apologize for.

Special education as a field does not always align with this vision of collective care, and special educators are often implicitly or explicitly expected to sacrifice their own well-being to meet their professional responsibilities.

Gen Z’s willingness to discuss mental health positions them to empathize with and advocate for their own students’ mental health. This authenticity has the potential to radically transform the ways that mental health is addressed in schools. But it also means Gen Z special educators are more likely to quit when they feel unsupported.

A collective well-being approach invites teachers to consider how they can both give and receive support regarding mental health within their communities. This invitation to collaborate gives Gen Z educators a platform where they can make their voices heard and make tangible improvements within their communities in a way that aligns with Gen Z’s appreciation of justice, equity, and advocacy.

What current educators can do

The idea of collective well-being doesn’t change the reality of our inequitable and stressed education systems. But it does provide a meaningful starting point for conversation, reflection, and action regarding how we might make our systems more hospitable to Gen Z teachers. Current educational professionals in different roles might draw on the concept of collective well-being to support Gen Z special education teachers. For example, current educators might consider intentionally inviting new special educators to eat lunch or breakfast with them, strike up a conversation during recess duty, or go for a quick walk together after school. Even brief conversations can help colleagues better understand the strengths each brings to the community. Veteran education professionals might also consider intentionally inviting new Gen Z teachers to provide their insight on some of their own practices, such as advice for navigating technology or understanding new student slang. Gen Z teachers benefit from more experienced teachers’ knowledge, but they also have a lot of knowledge to share.

Teacher educators

As teacher educators, we know that special education is not easy, and we shouldn’t sugarcoat the working conditions in our courses. At the same time, however, we face the urgent challenge of preparing teachers with the skills, knowledge, and disposition to navigate and improve inequitable systems from within without causing their own burnout. By introducing our students to the notion of collective well-being, we can communicate to them that well-being is more than just an individual self-care practice. Through practices centering collective well-being, we can help our students recognize that they all have something to offer and something to receive. Furthermore, reframing burnout as an issue that can be mitigated can set up future educators for success when facing their worst moments of exhaustion.

We can also provide our students with the tools they need to function as advocates for collective well-being in their future school settings. One of these tools is knowledge about how racism, ableism, and other injustices persist within the educational system. Such knowledge empowers Gen Z special educators to understand how broader social and political dynamics affect their well-being. Introducing future teachers to concepts that proactively support their well-being — such as simple strategies for emotional regulation and stress reduction, like gratitude, breathing, and mindfulness — can help future teachers and their students. Existing modules on trauma-informed instruction and student social-emotional learning skills can include tools for adults as well.

School leaders

To retain Gen Z special educators, school leaders should consider ways to foster community among staff. For special educators, opportunities for collaborative planning and relationship-building with general education colleagues are critical; fostering these relationships proactively supports new special educators (Hopkins, Bjorklund, & Spillane, 2019).

Collective well-being requires members of the community to be aware of each other’s needs. When leaders provide opportunities for transparent discussions about resources and responsibilities in the school, special educators can share their experiences with colleagues and ask for the types of support that they need. They are also able to share their own expertise and provide support to members of the community who might not have as much experience or knowledge regarding disability. Transparent discussions regarding roles and responsibilities can help Gen Z workers feel the respect and sense of purpose at work that they crave (Schroth, 2019).

School leaders must view the well-being of their employees as an ongoing endeavor, requiring differentiation and adaptation for each new teacher. They can support Gen Z teachers by providing opportunities for input and shared decision making through structured check-ins and frequent feedback. Creating space for conversations, inviting the new generation into decision making, and being flexible about the issues that are important to them allows the entire ecosystem to reframe well-being as a collaborative and continuous effort and increases a sense of belonging.

Compared with previous generations, Gen Z is much more empowered to prioritize their mental health, taking days off when they are not feeling healthy and leaving jobs where their mental health does not feel protected. School leaders can establish systems to support teachers’ mental health, such as opportunities for feedback, peer mentorship, diverse professional development and learning offerings, and protected planning time. They can also ensure that new hires are aware of existing resources for mental health, such as employee assistance programs, paid personal days, and state- and district-level induction opportunities. Finally, they can offer access to mentoring and coaching.

Coaches and mentors

Mentors and coaches are fundamental to the development of early-career special educators. One way that coaches and mentors might support new, Gen Z special educators is by balancing discussions on technical skills with guidance and conversation about embedding well-being within the teaching practice. New special educators need to recognize that supporting their own well-being and the well-being of their school community is an important professional practice. Martin Seligman’s (2018) PERMA model of well-being (Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) may be a helpful tool to support mentors and coaches in modeling and sharing well-being practices and strategies with Gen Z (Dreer, 2023). Mentors could draw on these domains to start conversations with early-career teachers about how various elements of their well-being connect with professional outcomes (Dreer-Goeth, 2023).

Group-oriented practices, where special educators can learn and grow alongside peers, can help new special educators build connections and see how others are integrating themselves into the profession. Through a collective approach to mentorship, mentors and coaches may further maximize their effect in sustaining Gen Z special educators.

Gen Z grew up on social media, socialized into quick boosts of dopamine from positive “likes” but also a lot of negative feedback and bullying. They may need help from their coaches to foster a growth mindset and see their own practice in shades of gray rather than black and white (Schroth, 2019). Mentors can help with this by strategically and frequently providing positive reinforcement when expectations are met, rather than focusing on correcting what’s wrong. Providing a reason for why things are done a certain way can help new teachers improve while ensuring they still feel they can ask questions and learn. Shifting the focus away from error promotes flexibility and growth.

An invitation across generations

Gen Z makes up an increasing portion of our special education workforce, and we must take the opportunity to consider how we can evolve our field so that our communities benefit from Gen Z’s strengths and so new Gen Z professionals find their careers in special education fulfilling and sustainable. Teacher attrition and shortages have negative effects on students, school climate, and school resources. To keep new teachers in the classroom, we need to be willing to innovate.

Gen Z offers new skills, different ways of approaching work and life, and a fresh perspective on special education. Adopting a collective wellness framework within teacher preparation programs and school settings can help shift our field from one where teachers just get by to one where they flourish in community.

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This article appears in the Fall 2025 issue of Kappan, Vol. 107, No. 1-2, pp. 40–44.