My name is Gregory Alexander. I am a doctoral student at the University of Laverne in southern california. I am doing my dissertation on recruitment & retention strategies of men in special education, and its long term effects on special education.
I am a special education high school teacher and an adjunct professor at California State University San Bernardino and National University in the Special Education department.
If there is any information you can give me in regard to my study it will greatly be appreciated. I plan to do a Delphi Study or Interviews to obtain answers to my questions. I believe if we can find strategies to combat sexual accusations, low pay, low prestige, and recruit more men in education in particularly in the elementary level and special education, American education may not be in the predicament it is in today.
Male students make up approximately 70% of the two largest categories in special ed. Specific
Learning disability & Emotional Disturbance, when there are little male role models in special education classrooms. California has 28,000 special ed teachers of which maybe 4,000 are men which is significantly low. I am still searching for a more accurate figure on men in special ed. the state sites don’t give that information directly.
I believe if there were a more proportionate balance of men teachers at the elementary level there would be less referrals of males into special education. Particular with poor white males, latinos, and specifically african american males where there is a known problem of overrepresentation in special education. Looking at this I find that primarily middle class white women are referring these elementary male students to special ed. at an alarming rate.
By the time they get to me in high school they have been labeled and “hobbled”, therefore behind academically in almost all areas.
By the 10th or 11th grade the drop out rate shoots up tremendously in which we know contributes positively to crime.
In Southern california the recidivism rate of men with disabilities is at approximately 70%.
Studies have shown since 1976 that teachers primarily female teachers are more likely to refer males to special ed. than females.
This is a problem that has not been dealt with and Special ed. is going OUT OF CONTROL!!
No one knows exactly what to do.
Greg Alexander
951-712-8511