Will AI replace Special Education Teachers, Secondary School?

Some of your tasks will be automated. People who use AI will have the edge.

Task exposure to today's AI

35/100

Moderate exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

Get your personal score

Will AI replace Special Education Teachers, Secondary School?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 35% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. The parts that stay human include: Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.; Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.; Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable

Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. 72%

Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and technologies. 57%

Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.AI already used 53%

Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.AI already used 47%

Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.AI already used 38%

Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions. 28%

+ 34 more tasks (60% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.

AI tools to try

ChatGPT / Claude for lesson materialsAI quiz and feedback toolsPresentation and image generators

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

Materials and preparation

Lesson plans, tasks and differentiated materials with AI.
Quizzes and answer keys.
Check facts and age-appropriateness yourself.

Project

Use AI to build one two-week unit in your subject at three reading levels plus a quiz and answer key, fact-check every item yourself, and log hours saved versus your last unit.

Phase 2

Feedback and assessment

Rubrics and feedback drafts with AI.
Spotting common mistakes across student work.
Rules for student AI use and academic honesty.

Project

Draft an IEP-aligned rubric and feedback comments with AI for one anonymized class set of 20 assignments, tag the three most common errors, and compare your grading time to the previous set.

Phase 3

Teaching with AI

Teach students to use AI critically.
Assignments that work with AI, not against it.
Share materials and practice with colleagues.

Project

Run a three-lesson mini-unit teaching students to prompt, fact-check and cite AI on a graded task, then share the plan plus your AI-use rules with 3 colleagues and collect their feedback.

Take the free 11-question test