Signs Your School Needs a Special Education Staffing Partner

A Decision-Making Framework 

Special education leaders face unique pressures—student needs, legal mandates, staffing shortages, and budget constraints. Not every vacancy requires outside help, but knowing when to bring in a staffing partner can be the difference between staying compliant and falling behind.

Use a Staffing Partner When…

1) You’re Facing Ongoing Staffing Gaps

‘You’ve had an open Special education teacher position for 30+ days.’

• Chronic shortages threaten service delivery and compliance.
• Staffing partners can step in quickly with credentialed professionals.

2) Time-Sensitive Compliance Is At Risk

‘You have overdue IEPs and can’t meet service minutes.’

• Missing timelines can result in state audits or loss of funding.
• A staffing partner can provide licensed staff to prevent further backlog.

3) You’re Seeing High Turnover or Burnout

‘You’re cycling through paraprofessionals every few weeks.’

• Frequent turnover disrupts student continuity.
• Staffing firms often offer better pay, benefits, and retention.

4) You Need Specialized or Hard-to-Fill Roles

‘You can’t find a bilingual SLP or school psychologist.’

• Roles that require niche credentials are tough to fill locally.
• Agencies have national networks and passive candidates.

5) You’re Launching a New Program or Expansion

‘You’re opening a self-contained autism classroom next semester.’

• Short timelines for new initiatives demand quick staffing.
• Partners can help you scale fast without sacrificing quality.

6) You’re Balancing Budgets + Priorities

‘We need coverage, but we don’t want to over-hire permanent staff.’

• Flexible, short-term placements avoid unnecessary long-term costs.
• Temp-to-perm models let you ‘try before you buy.’

Decision-Making Checklist

• Have we tried internal recruitment for 30+ days without success?
• Is student learning or compliance being impacted?
• Is this a temporary or niche role that’s hard to fill?
• Do we need to move faster than our internal HR process allows?
• Could a flexible or contract-based solution meet our needs?

Soliant specializes in special education staffing solutions designed for real-world school challenges. Whether it’s filling one position or staffing an entire program, we partner with districts to deliver quality, credentialed professionals.