Sign in

Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams

@lmasonwms.bsky.social
317 followers 171 following 55 posts

Prof, Binghamton University. Advocate for a prepared, representative, stable, & equitably distributed special ed workforce.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
We are so excited to introduce our first cohort of SPARC scholars! This week, we welcome @phoebeahn.bsky.social! 🌟 Her work focuses on advancing appropriate identification and service delivery for multilingual learners with disabilities.
A graphic featuring a headshot of Phoebe Ahn. She stands in front of a gray background, smiling. She has long black hair and is wearing a white long-sleeved top. Above the headshot reads: “Phoebe Ahn SPARC Scholar 2026-2027.” Below the headshot are text boxes with the SPARC logo, the SPARC website domain, and a text box reading “Ph.D. candidate in Special Education, Vanderbilt University.”
043
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
So proud to be a part of this research!
010
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
💡 How are #SpecialEducation teachers prepared? In our upcoming webinar, Li Feng and @edutuan.bsky.social discuss how we use Title II data to understand preparation pathways for special educators. 📅 Wednesday, August 19 at 2pm ET 🔗Register to attend: binghamton.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Promotional graphic for an upcoming SPARC Center webinar titled “Mapping Pathways: Trends in Special Education Teacher Preparation Over Time Across SPARC States.” The webinar will take place on August 19 at 2 p.m. ET and features Li Feng, SPARC Center Co-Principal Investigator, and Tuan Nguyen, SPARC Center Key Personnel, Quantitative Analysis Team. The graphic has a blue background with white text, circular speaker headshots, and SPARC branding at the bottom, including the website sparccenter.org. The SPARC logo appears at the bottom left.
023
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Federal data can help identify trends in #SpecialEducation teacher pathways. At our next webinar, our experts will explore Title II data across our partner states and how it can inform evidence-based decision-making in special education policy and practice: binghamton.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Promotional graphic for an upcoming SPARC Center webinar titled “Mapping Pathways: Trends in Special Education Teacher Preparation Over Time Across SPARC States.” The webinar will take place on August 19 at 2 p.m. ET and features Li Feng, SPARC Center Co-Principal Investigator, and Tuan Nguyen, SPARC Center Key Personnel, Quantitative Analysis Team. The graphic has a dark blue background with white text, circular speaker headshots, and SPARC branding at the bottom, including the website sparccenter.org. The SPARC logo appears at the bottom left.
034
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Looking forward to sharing what we're learning! Important implications for school districts, universities, and state leaders!
010
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Our webinar next week will explore the results of three studies of school leaders’ prior experience in #SpecialEducation, and what the results mean for supporting special educators. 📅 May 18 at 2pm ET 🔗 Register: binghamton.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Graphic promoting an upcoming webinar titled “Leading Beyond the Classroom: Pathways from Special Educator to School Leader,” scheduled for May 18 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The speakers listed are Abby Foley (Lead IDEA Center Director), Roddy Theobald (SPARC Center Co‑Principal Investigator), LaRon Scott (SPARC Center Co‑Principal Investigator), and Jinseok Shin (University of Texas–Austin Research Fellow). The SPARC Center logo and website, sparccenter.org, appear at the bottom.
023
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Going to AEFP this week? Find me at the Conversation Tables on Friday to learn more!
042
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
So excited to share this!
050
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Excited to learn from @SPARC_Center researcher @LiFengBetty! We're in Year 2 of our @NoyceProgram in @bingtlel - such a great opportunity for pre-service STEM teachers! www.brookings.edu/events/suppo...
brookings.edu
Supporting STEM teachers: Insights from the Noyce program | Brookings
Join the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings on February 23rd for a discussion on the state of the K-12 STEM teacher workforce.
000
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
🌟Supporting the #SpecialEducation teacher workforce requires collaboration. This week, SPARC Center experts @lmasonwms.bsky.social and @afgilmour.bsky.social share insights from our first year of research with the Coalition for Teaching Quality. Read our findings: sparccenter.org/research-fin...
sparccenter.org
The Composition, Distribution, and Stability of the Special Education Teacher Workforce in Seven States | SPARC Center
033
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
"...two enduring challenges—staffing shortages and reliance on individual advocacy—reveals the ongoing struggle between policy ideals and implementation realities." www.educationnext.org/idea-at-50-l...
educationnext.org
IDEA at 50
The landmark federal law ensured access for students with disabilities. Now it’s time to focus on outcomes.
021
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
✨What does the #SpecialEducation teacher workforce look like within and across states? Our new interactive data visualizer tool looks at the composition, stability, and distribution of the workforce in our seven partner states. Explore the tool: sparccenter.org/data-explore...
sparccenter.org
SPARC Data Explorer | SPARC Center
045
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
💡“Our shortages aren’t really from not having enough people; it’s having people teaching the wrong thing.” - @afgilmour.bsky.social Check out this article from Education Week which features research from our recent working paper on the #SpecialEducation teacher workforce.
035
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Did you know recruitment and retention of #SpecialEducation teachers varies widely by school contexts, including by poverty level, enrollment demographics, and location? 🔎Explore more with our data visualizer: sparccenter.org/data-explore...
Screenshot from the SPARC Center Data Explorer.  
The graph looks at the percentage of special education teachers (SETs) who changed schools by school-poverty level. Seven states are included: Hawai‘i, Indiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. For each state, there are three dots showing the percent of SETs moving schools at low-poverty schools, middle-poverty schools, and high-poverty schools. In all states except Hawai‘i, the rate is highest for high-poverty schools.
054
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
Roddy Theobald @roddy-theobald.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Really excited to have this piece out on the Brown Center Chalkboard blog with @lmasonwms.bsky.social, @afgilmour.bsky.social, & @lizbettini.bsky.social on the importance of targeted solutions to special education teacher staffing challenges. See below!
057
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
Liz Bettini @lizbettini.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
So much important information in this graph!!
022
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
“Chronic special education teacher shortages leave many students with disabilities without access to the instruction and support they need to meet learning and lifetime goals.” @ted-cec.bsky.social @cec-dr.bsky.social
021
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
"As we have demonstrated, different states face different #SpecialEducation teacher turnover problems. This suggests that the most promising solutions might vary across states." Read more about our recent findings in our article with @brookings.edu: www.brookings.edu/articles/sta...
brookings.edu
States face different special education staffing challenges that require targeted responses | Brookings
Special education teacher turnover varies by state, calling for targeted, locally informed policy solutions.
044
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
@sparccenter.bsky.social co-director @lizbettini.bsky.social challenging @ted-cec.bsky.social members to think critically about the #specialeducation teacher workforce
131
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
@SPARC_Center researcher & president of the @ted-cec.bsky.social of @CECMembership LaRon Scott kicking off our annual meeting!
031
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
🔍Our new Working Paper uses consistent variables across states. Leveraging Common Education Data Standards and Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems enables meaningful cross-state comparisons of the #SpecialEducation Teacher workforce. Read more: sparccenter.org/research-fin...
sparccenter.org
The Composition, Distribution, and Stability of the Special Education Teacher Workforce in Seven States | SPARC Center
024
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
An essential step to building a strong special education workforce is designing policies at all levels that make them want to STAY. www.brookings.edu/articles/sta...
brookings.edu
States face different special education staffing challenges that require targeted responses | Brookings
Special education teacher turnover varies by state, calling for targeted, locally informed policy solutions.
010
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Excited to spread the word!
020
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Such important work- with clear suggestions for how much still needs to be done! I hope a few doc students are paying attention- maybe a dissertation idea or two? @ted-cec.bsky.social
120
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
Lindsey Kaler @lindseykaler.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
Excited to circulate another @caldercenter.bsky.social WP! Another study from my dissertation, w/ @roddy-theobald.bsky.social‬. Using data from WA, we track individual paraeducators to predict exit from the state education workforce. Ungated WP here: ‬ tinyurl.com/3wtfrm2m 🧵 below:
1159
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
🎓 Is having a dual-certification in #SpecialEducation and general education better than having one certification? SPARC Center co-director @afgilmour.bsky.social and Tiffany Lam reviewed the research to learn more on this topic: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
023
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Looking forward to hearing more from my @SPARC_Center collaborators- we’ve learned a lot in a year that can help inform policymakers & practitioners!
021
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
Another report released on the shortage of #SpecialEducation teachers. The @SPARC_Center research team works with state leaders to investigate policies contributing to shortages, turnover, & instability. learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/teac...
learningpolicyinstitute.org
Teacher Shortages by Subjects Across States
As a supplement to the State Teacher Shortages 2025 Update tool, this analyses includes data on the number of states reporting shortages by teaching area (i.e., special education, science, mathematics...
083
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
Prepping to explain to NYS members of Congress & anyone who will listen why we need to pay greater attention to #specialeducation workforce issues @cec-ted-policy.bsky.social @cecmembership.bsky.social @ted-cec.bsky.social
041
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
What questions do you have about using state or district data to investigate #SpecialEducation workforce issues?
001
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
I’m sure I know a few doc students who might be interested! @cec-dr.bsky.social @cec-ted-policy.bsky.social
041
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Excited to promote this @sparccenter.bsky.social session at the ECS National Forum on Ed Policy! web.cvent.com/event/a08f74...
web.cvent.com
Full Agenda - 2025 National Forum on Education Policy
000
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Identifying who provides #specialeducation services in admin data can be challenging. Come learn from @sparccenter.bsky.social experts & our partners!
133
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
Join members of the SPARC Center (and me!) to learn more about studying #SpecialEducation teachers- we’ve got ideas & want to hear from you too! @cec-dr.bsky.social @ted-cec.bsky.social @aefpweb.bsky.social
020
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
This should be GOOD! @aefpweb.bsky.social @ted-cec.bsky.social @cec-dr.bsky.social @aeraedresearch.bsky.social @dqcdata.bsky.social
000
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
SPARC Center @sparccenter.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
Evidence on teacher shortages in Washington state from the @caldercenter.bsky.social helps motivate #SPARCCenter work to address #SpecialEducation workforce challenges. Prioritizing these issues is key to improving outcomes for students with disabilities.
edweek.org
Teacher Shortages Are Improving—With Two Big Exceptions
New job posting data suggests staffing support needs to be targeted at particular areas.
035
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
Anyone else have Gov Pritzker on their 2028 possibilities bingo card??
040
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
We need families to engage in #specialEducation workforce discussions now more than ever!
032
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Exciting news @cec-ted-policy.bsky.social @tedcec.bsky.social - a district judge ruled in favor of reinstating teacher prep grants canceled a few weeks ago- things like TQP & SEED grants! YAY!!
media.tenor.com
a baby is crying while being held by a woman in a crowd .
ALT: a baby is crying while being held by a woman in a crowd .
1123
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Couldn’t agree more! @sparccenter dataqualitycampaign.org/the-so-what-...
dataqualitycampaign.org
The So What: What We’re Watching, Week of March 10 | DQC
If the federal government no longer supports and produces data and research, states—and districts—will be forced to go it alone at significant cost, including capacity and time.
010
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Today is THE DAY!! Looking forward to the first of many opportunities to engage w/partners! Come to hear what we’re learning abt the #specialeducation workforce!
073
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Really interesting work & super relevant to @sparccenter.bsky.social work- still demand & unmet supply needs in special ed!
020
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
Sarah Powell @sarahpowellphd.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Check out these FREE lesson guides, problem sets, and vocabulary cards - all focused on addition of whole numbers. buff.ly/437YW4c
074
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
I chair the BEST committee!! This is just a few reps of the AMAZING team working to ensure TED members are at the table and NOT on the menu.
060
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
American Institutes for Research @airinforms.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Learn about cross-state analyses, upcoming research, and leadership strategies aimed at strengthening the #SpecialEducation workforce at the @sparccenter.bsky.social's upcoming Launch Event.   🗓️March 11 | 1 pm EST  📍Virtual  ✏️Register: www.air.org/centers/spec...
233
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
So many exciting things going on: @cec-ted-policy.bsky.social #advocacy tomorrow AND the @sparccenter.bsky.social launch next week- looking forward to interacting with so many people!!
media.tenor.com
a man in a robe is sitting in a chair with his arms in the air and smiling .
ALT: a man in a robe is sitting in a chair with his arms in the air and smiling .
010
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
@cec-ted-policy.bsky.social What questions do you have for our upcoming Washington Update?
000
Reposted by Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams
Kimber Wilkerson @kimber-wilkerson.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
This story highlights a special education residency program with Milwaukee Public Schools that I am proud of! (Even as the federal Department of Education turns aways from these kinds of investments.) spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee...
spectrumnews1.com
Residency program aims to recruit, retain special education teachers
A new partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Milwaukee Public Schools is working to bridge the gap.
061
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Counting down till the official launch! We need improved #EdData to improve #EdPolicy for #specialeducators & #studentswithdisabilities
020
Loretta (Lucky) Mason-Williams @lmasonwms.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
@cec-ted-policy.bsky.social To advocate we need to be informed!!
000