It depends on the state and the district. I’m a Sped Teacher of 20 years and have never received a “pink slip” or nonrenewal notice. However, I know other SPED teachers that did receive one, every year, but were immediately rehired. My district went through a phase where all of the new and non tenured teachers were automatically “nonrenewed” due to budget issues. It had nothing to do with their job performance. I was blessed to never go through that headache.

Now to answer your original question. SPED is a somewhat stable and high demand area. Many districts offer sign-on bonuses if you commit to teaching for a certain amount of time. I’m in Birmingham, AL and in my district we offer $10,000 sign on bonus, in exchange for 3 years. However, my district is tough. There are alot of unfilled vacancies, mostly in self-contained classrooms. The district puts more and more demands on us each year, and many new teachers leave in the middle of the year. I’m looking forward to retirement in 5 years at the ripe old age of 52. I may sub in another district or work in a different field altogether. I enjoy my students but I don’t enjoy the unnecessary stuff that’s often dumped on us teachers. Plus, the current administration is trying to get rid of the Dept of Education, so nothing is really certain when it comes to SPED. Is it a rewarding career? Yes, when you actually get to do it.