Powerful Partnerships: Special Education Teachers as Seconded Faculty

In response to the current teacher shortage and its accompanying demand on universities to graduate more teachers, some education faculties have explored the viability of filling staff vacancies with experienced personnel from school systems. 2005 represents the fifth year of operation of an innovative program of secondments at the University of New England (UNE), New South Wales, Australia that has been used successfully to team teach core special education units to undergraduate teacher education students. Few studies have investigated issues related to such secondments from the profession. Members of the Special Education team at UNE addressed this lack of research in the current study that explores personal and professional issues surrounding this secondment experience. Three secondees, two who had returned to teaching positions and one who was continuing in a subsequent seconded position, completed an in-depth questionnaire about their experiences before, during and after their secondment. Overall, the opportunity to contribute to teacher education courses was evaluated positively by the secondees and by the special education faculty. Specifically, analysis of the questionnaire data indicated that a set of themes related to the concept of self-renewal permeated the responses of these mid-career educators. This research has emphasized the importance of providing varied professional development opportunities for special and inclusive educators, and underscores the contribution that professional educators can make to teacher education programs in general.