“We're Not Giving Up” Special Education Teacher's Experiences During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT This study investigated special education teachers' experiences during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Through qualitative, semi‐structured interviews, 15 educators shared detailed reports of how efforts to reach students strained their mental health. They felt stressed due to frequently changing expectations and pressure to comply with federal special education regulations. The result was burnout and emotional exhaustion. Participants correctly predicted that students would develop behavioral and emotional problems post‐pandemic, and called for intensifying school‐based mental health services. The mental health challenges that they described resulted in teacher attrition and nationwide concerns about worsening student behavior problems.