California schools have had persistent difficulties filling special education vacancies, but in the past two years, these shortages have skyrocketed, as evidenced by the growth of substandard special education authorizations. When schools struggle to fill a position with a qualified teacher, they often hire teachers who are still in training or who hold emergency-type permits without training. This research brief highlights these special education teacher workforce trends and explains the significant impact shortages and substandard credentials have on student achievement and the already-limited number of qualified special education teachers. [For the full report, "Addressing California's Growing Teacher Shortage: 2017 Update," see ED606729.]