Twelve schools covered all vacancies through strengthened compensation and strategy
HARTFORD, CT (Nov. 5, 2026) – Hartford Public Schools reduced the vacancies of certified special education across the district, including a dozen schools that are now fully staffed with special education teachers, and zero vacancies when compared to last year.
Overall, the special education vacancy rate shrank from 25% to 9% through increased pay differentials, early recruitment strategies, targeting hard-to-fill roles, expanded certification and university pathways, improved candidate sourcing, and strengthened coordination within the district.
“Hiring the special education educators that our schools require to meet the needs of students represents more than a staffing improvement. It means greater consistency and support for student learning and family support,” said Superintendent Andraé Townsel on Thursday. “This progress reflects the intentional work of our Human Resources and Special Education teams, in collaboration with school principals and the educators who choose to serve Hartford students. We are encouraged by these gains, and our focus now is on sustaining full staffing by recruiting earlier, developing local talent, and creating the conditions that encourage strong educators to stay and grow along with our students at Hartford Public Schools.”
The 12 schools that were able to bring their special education vacancies down to zero were: Naylor Elementary, Wish Elementary, Sport and Medical Sciences Academy, Pathways to Technology Magnet, Moylan Expeditionary Learning Academy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Great Path Academy, Betances STEM Magnet, Parkville School, Montessori Magnet at Batchelder, Bellizzi, Renzulli Academy. The previous vacancy in the Language, Speech and Hearing team was also covered with a new hire.
“Hartford’s success in reducing special education vacancies is providing a blueprint for other districts across the state to follow,” said Daniel Pearson, Executive Director of Educators for Excellence-Connecticut. “Shortages are often concentrated in specific roles and schools, and higher pay for hard-to-staff schools and subjects is one of several approaches that are backed by research and aligned with what teachers want. There’s more work to be done, and Hartford deserves praise for taking these meaningful steps to swiftly reduce school vacancies.”
Fewer vacancies mean stronger continuity of services, less disruption for students and families, and greater ability to deliver IEP services consistently. It also has a financial impact because stronger internal staffing can reduce reliance on agency, temporary, or emergency staffing that is often more costly in the long run.
“When the salary increase came through, it felt like fireworks, and it told special educators that Hartford values the work we do,” said Deborah Butler, Special Education Educator at María C. Colón Sánchez Elementary School. “But fireworks fade, and what keeps the momentum going is a strong pipeline of high-quality, certified educators for these roles. Higher pay gets great teachers in the door, but strong pathways into the profession help someone be ready to walk the path. Hartford is on a promising track, and other districts should follow.”
Nevertheless, special education remains a hard-to-fill area. The progress made is significant, but the work is not finished. Our focus now is sustaining these gains through retention strategies, certification support, and closer monitoring of where vacancies remain concentrated. Hartford Public Schools continues to look out for top talent to join our mission. The district’s total vacancies for special education staff currently add up to 13 full-time positions.
“Fewer vacancies means our most underserved students have more consistent support, and that fewer educators need to cover for empty positions,” said Christine Therkelson, Special Education Department Lead at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy. “The way Hartford has reduced vacancies through smarter pay models is a massive win, and we need to keep building on this with more sustainable roles, protected time to plan and collaborate, and supports to grow as leaders without leaving the classroom.”