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The bright blue text, “MANDATED STATE FURLOUGH” brands the Special Education department website at San Jose State University, which has had to stop accepting applicants for the upcoming spring semester because of budget cuts. Educators and students alike are concerned that the move will result in a reduction of qualified special education teachers in school systems.

Chair of Special Education Chris Hagie said the job of teaching special needs students will likely fall on substitute teachers who lack adequate training.

"That's just alarming to me," he said. "It should be alarming to everybody. It's really…a serious situation."
 
Kelly Kaefer, a first year early childhood special education student, said she understands why the department had to make the budgetary cuts, but also expressed concerns for her peers who will not have the opportunity to become teachers.

"I understand that California is lacking in money and that every one of us needs to cut somewhere, but to limit the amount of people who can get into college seems like we're taking away the dream each one of us has as a child to go to college when we grow up," Kaefer said.

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