About the SPEDucator Project
Season 2 Proposed Project Outcomes: November 2021 - May 2022 (7 months)
Season 2 Proposal
Our primary focus this year is to build a community for all stakeholders in special education across the state through collaboration. We will continue our efforts to change the narrative through our Recruitment initiatives, support retention through our Retention and Resources initiatives, and promote positive change and advocacy through our Research initiatives.
Season 1 Final Project Outcomes: November 2020 - May 2021 (7 months)
2021 Leadership & Project Directors' Conference
OSEP held its Leadership and Project Directors’ Conference virtually on July 19 – 22, 2021. This conference combined OSEP’s bi-annual Leadership and Project Directors’ conferences. The SPEDucator Project was accepted to present twice at this conference, one presentation focusing on our recruitment efforts to help change the narratives, and another presentation focusing on the power of building community for special education teachers as an effective retention strategy.
Poster Presentation: Changing the Narrative Around Special Education in Hawai'i
Breakout Presentation: SPEDucator Project: SPED Recruitment & Retention in the Pandemic Era
Session Description
Although Hawaii suffers from a severe special education teacher shortage similar to the rest of the country, having a single unified school district provides a unique opportunity to change the public narrative around special education statewide. This poster session provides an exemplar showcasing a collaborative initiative between the state educational agency (SEA) and the largest state Institution of Higher Education (IHE) to publicly elevate the special education teacher profession using a marketing campaign called "Someone Special for Students."
Session Description
The SPEDucator Project is an innovative personnel development initiative designed to increase the recruitment and retention of quality special education teachers in the state of Hawaii. The project is empowering a community of teacher-leaders to develop media marketing campaigns based on the authentic experiences and needs of current "SPEDucators." This breakout session will describe the design and implementation of the project, as well as the implications of developing special education practitioner community, capacity, and self-determination in the face of the current pandemic.
Project Coordinators
Derek Govin
Special Education Teacher at Ewa Makai Middle School
Janet Kim
Special Education Recruitment Specialist at UH Mānoa