Chapter 1: Beyond “Hang in There”: A Qualitative Examination of How Inclusive Principals Support Beginning Special Education Teachers

P–12 public schools are complex settings established to meet the learning needs of all students, including students with disabilities. To comply with the law (i.e., Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA]), school leaders, teachers, and support professionals must collaborate to design and deliver instruction to meet the needs of diverse students. Principals are expected to meet federal mandates, ensuring students with disabilities access the general education curriculum and are meaningfully included in general education settings (ESSA, 2015; IDEA 2014; McLeskey et al., 2014). Inclusive education is complicated by an unstable special educator workforce and expectations that general educators can address the needs of learners with disabilities.