Revealing Special Educators’ Conditions for Teaching
Working conditions are the job responsibilities special educators fulfill and the resources special educators experience, as a result of how their school is organized to structure and coordinate teachers’ work.
“Teachers’ Working Conditions are Students’ Learning Conditions”
— Hirsch et al., 2006
Meet the Team
Elizabeth Bettini, Ph.D.
Boston University, PI
Dr. Elizabeth Bettini is an associate professor in the Special Education program at BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.
Dr. Bettini’s research examines factors shaping the special education teacher workforce, particularly how working conditions contribute to the shortage of special education teachers and to inequities in access to skilled, committed special education teachers, based on students’ disability, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Her current work is focused on identifying potential interventions to improve working conditions, to eliminate these inequities. She previously taught students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in self-contained and inclusive settings in Arizona and Connecticut.
Nelson Brunsting, Ph.D.
University of Florida, Co-PI
Nelson Brunsting is an Assistant Professor in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida.
His research work is designed to understand and enhance the wellbeing of diverse populations in academic contexts, with a focus on ameliorating special education teacher burnout by improving working conditions and supports.
Nelson earned his PhD in Educational Psychology at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill. Prior to his current position, he founded the Center for Research on Abroad and International Student Engagement (RAISE Center) at Wake Forest University. He has a Masters in Classical Studies from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and his undergraduate degree is in Classical Studies from Wake Forest University. His experience serving as a group leader at a wilderness school for students with emotional and behavioral challenges catalyzed his interest in teacher-student interactions and wellness/burnout of special educators serving students with EBD.
In addition to his work on Project RESPECT, Nelson recently completed a study on types and sources of social support on special educators’ burnout, funded by the Spencer Foundation (201900101). He is a Co-PI on Something Inside So Strong (PI: Dani Parker Moore, Wake Forest University) to examine the efficacy of the Freedom Schools program, and he serves on the Comprehensive, Integrated Three-Tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention Strategic Leadership Team, led by Kathleen Lane and Wendy Oakes.
Michelle Cumming, Ph.D.
Florida International University, Co-PI
Dr. Cumming is an Associate Professor of Special Education and affiliate faculty with the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University.
Her interdisciplinary research has primarily focused on students with or at risk for emotional/behavioral disorders and their teachers through three interrelated research strands:
(1) understanding the underlying neurocognitive variables that contribute to students’ academic and behavioral functioning;
(2) developing prevention/intervention programs to improve students’ self-regulation and executive functioning; and
(3) gaining insight into how working conditions contribute to teachers’ instruction and attrition.
In support of her work, she has secured over $8 million in grants, published in top tier journals, and received multiple awards (e.g., FIU Top Scholar). Dr. Cumming is an associate editor for The Elementary School Journal, served as the elected secretary for CEC-DR, and is on the Superintendent’s District Advisory Panel. Prior to receiving her Ph.D., she was an elementary school teacher and a learning specialist for grades PK-8.
Specialty
Emotional and behavioral disorders, cultural and linguistically diverse learners, executive function, stress regulation, prevention/intervention programming, special educators’ working condition.
Current Projects
Dr. Cumming currently serves as Principal Investigator on a 4-year IES Early Career Grant (R324B190030). The goal of Project Pathways is to better understand the underlying variables that contribute to and escalate behavior and academic problems by investigating how the EF-Stress Loop (i.e., associations among school-based stress, student executive function [EF], and stress regulation) and classroom context relate over time to the behavioral and academic outcomes of middle schoolers with or at-risk for EBD. Dr. Cumming also serves as Co-PI with Dr. Cramer (PI) on a personnel preparation grant funded by the Office of Special Education Programs to prepare leaders in higher education to meet the needs of racially, ethnically, and linguistical diverse learners backgrounds who receive special education.
Education
PhD, Special Education, Research and Evaluation Methodology minor, University of Florida
MSEd, Remedial Education, Sunbridge College
BFA, Theatre (Scenic Design), Florida International University
Corinne Huggins-Manley Ph.D.
University of Florida, Co-PI
Dr. Corinne Huggins-Manley’s research is focused on educational measurement, particularly with respect to issues of validity and fairness.
She has published research on developments in fairness as a lack of statistical bias (e.g., differential item functioning; population invariance of equating) as well as on broader issues of fair measurement and construct validity, with a recent focus on AI- and technology-enhanced assessments. She is the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator on three large measurement grants from the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Huggins-Manley teaches multiple graduate level courses including Theory of Measurement and Item Response Theory, and also developed and manages two undergraduate research courses. In addition, she provides methodological consultation on various research grants and projects.
Kristen M. O’Brien, Ph.D.
George Mason University, Co-PI
Dr. Kristen O’Brien is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Division of Special Education and disability Research in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University.
Dr. O’Brien’s research aims to prepare and retain effective special education teachers to ultimately improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Specifically, her research interests include (a) working conditions of special education teachers and (b) practice-based learning opportunities in special education teacher preparation.
Prior to earning her doctorate, Dr. O’Brien taught in a fully inclusive elementary school, working with diverse students with and without disabilities. Her teaching career sparked her love for working with students with emotional and behavioral disorders, as well as mentoring teacher candidates, which led her to pursue her PhD. Dr. O’Brien earned her PhD in Special Education from the University of Florida, and she became a faculty member at George Mason University in 2016. In addition to serving as Co-PI on Project RESPECT, Dr. O’Brien has also served as Co-PI on a Spencer Foundation grant focused on working conditions of special education teachers serving students with disabilities in self-contained settings for students with EBD and Co-PI on several internal and state-funded grants related to special education teacher preparation. Dr. O’Brien serves as the Program Advancement Liaison in Special Education at Mason, a role that involves building and maintaining school-community-university partnerships, coordinating field experiences and internships, supporting program outreach, and facilitating program accreditation activities.
Neslihan Unluol-Unal, Ph.D.
Boston University, Visiting Scholar
Dr. Neslihan Unluol-Unal is an Assistant Professor at Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University in Türkiye and currently serves as a visiting scholar at Boston University.
Dr. Unluol-Unal holds master’s and doctoral degrees in special education from the University of Texas at San Antonio and Kent State University, respectively. She also brings prior teaching experience from Türkiye and Sweden to her academic endeavors. Her research focuses on improving educational outcomes and advancing inclusive practices for individuals with diverse learning needs. Specifically, her investigations delve into teachers’ treatment acceptability of school-based interventions, teacher quality, and working conditions of special education teachers. Dr. Unluol-Unal has made significant contributions to the field through numerous articles and book chapters, as well as presentations at various national and international conferences. Currently, she is actively expanding her research and collaborative efforts in special education.
Dr. Katherine Szocik, Ph.D.
Boston University, Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Katherine Szocik is a postdoctoral associate at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.
Her research focuses on special education teacher preparation and professional identity development. Dr. Szocik has particular interest in preparing educators who work with young children with disabilities. Drawing from her time as an early childhood special education teacher, Dr. Szocik completed her dissertation on professional identity development during teacher preparation using qualitative methodology.
Research
Our Work So Far
Overview
We are developing the RESPECT self-report measure of special education teacher working conditions using an iterative four-year development and validation process.
Current Status
RAND is administering the draft RESPECT to a nationally representative sample of special educators, so we can evaluate psychometrics (internal validity evidence).
Defining Working Conditions
Working conditions are:
The job responsibilities special educators fulfill and the resources special educators experience, as a result of how their school is organized to structure and coordinate teachers’ work.
Download the full Table of Specifications delineating constructs & construct definitions, here.
Download the full draft measure (PDF) here or through the LEAD IDEA Principal Navigator.
Publications
RESPECT publications
2025
Bettini, E., Brunsting, N.C., O’Brien, K., Cumming, M.C., Huggins-Manley, C., Ünlüol Ünal, N., Celoch, K., Szocik, K. (in press). What are special educators’ working conditions?. Remedial and Special Education. https://www.wiseinstitute.net/wp-content/uploads/What-Are-Special-Educators-Working-Conditions.pdf
Related Publications
2025
Bettini, E., & Hirsch, S. E. (2025). Calling on District Leaders: Supporting Self-Contained Programs for Students With Significant Behavior Support Needs. Beyond Behavior, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10742956251340323
2025
Brunsting, N. C., Morin, L. E., Gómez, L. R., Jones, B., Bettini, E., Cumming, M. M., Garwood, J. D., & Ruble, L. A. (2025). Burnout and Occupational Wellbeing of Special Education Teachers: Recent Research Synthesized. Review of Educational Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543251332919
2025
DeMatthews, D., Bettini, E., Billingsley, B., & Burns, E. M. (2025). Educators’ Perspectives of Working Conditions in Inclusive Elementary Schools. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 58(4), 304-324. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222194251325857 (Original work published 2025)
2025
Peyton, D. J., Mathews, H. M., Bettini, E., O’Brien, K. M., Louis, R. C., Shaheen, T., Weiss, M., van Dijk, W., & Hunter, B. (2025). Time Is Not on Their Side: How Mentor Teachers’ Working Conditions Shape Candidates’ Development and Intent to Teach. Teacher Education and Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children, 48(2), 99-121. https://doi.org/10.1177/08884064241310435 (Original work published 2025)
2024
Bettini, E., Cumming, M. M., Lauterbach, A. A., & Mathews, H. (2024). Principals’ conceptions of their roles supporting self-contained programs for students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Remedial and Special Education. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241237267
2023
Brunsting, N. C., Bettini, E., Rock, M., Common, E. A., Royer, D. J., Lane, K. L., Xie, F., Chen, A., & Zeng, F. (2023). Working conditions and burnout of special educators of students with EBD: Longitudinal Outcomes. Teacher Education and Special Education. 46(1), 44-64. https://doi.org/10.1177/08884064221076159
2023
Scott, L. A., Bettini, E., & Brunsting, N. C. (2023). Special education teachers of color burnout, working conditions, and recommendations for EBD research. Invited manuscript for special issue, Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 31(2), 97-108. https://doi.org/10.1177/10634266221146495
2023
Cumming, M. M., Bettini, E., Brunsting, N., & Theodore, S. (2022). Leveraging working conditions to improve the quality and effectiveness of the special education teacher workforce. In C. J. Lemons, S. Powell, & K. L. Lane (Eds.), Handbook of special education research: Research based practices and intervention innovations (pp. 56-70). Routledge
2022
Bettini, E., Brunsting, N. C., Scott, L. A., Kaler, L., Parker Moore, D., O’Brien, K. M., & Cumming, M. C. (2022). Experiences of working conditions among special education teachers of color serving students with EBD. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 30(2), 96-110. https://doi.org/10.1177/10634266221077698
2019
O’Brien, K. M., Brunsting, N. C., Bettini, E., Cumming, M. M., Ragunathan, M.,& Sutton, R. (2019). Special educators’ working conditions in self-contained settings for students with emotional or behavioral disorders: A descriptive analysis. Exceptional Children, 86(1), 40-57. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402919868946
2017
Bettini, E., Cumming, M., Merrill, K., Brunsting, N., & Liaupsin, C. (2017). Working conditions in self-contained settings for students with emotional disturbance. Journal of Special Education, 51(2), 83-94. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466916674195
2016
Bettini, E.,Crockett, J., Brownell, M. T., & Merrill, K. (2016). Relationships between working conditions and special educators’ instruction. Journal of Special Education, 50, 178 – 190. Coming Soon
Resources
Popular Press
- Addressing Special Education Staffing Shortages: Strategies for Schools
- Diversifying the special education teacher workforce could benefit US schools
- How the Special Education Teacher Shortage Affects Students with LD, and What to Do About it
- Promises and limitations of financial incentives to address special education staffing challenges
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