Finding and hiring highly qualified candidates in today's education marketplace can be as frustrating and demanding as it is rewarding and satisfying. National projections suggest special education personnel shortages in the coming years may tax the ability of schools to provide services for children with disabilities. While teacher turnover rates run approximately 5-6 percent for general education, special education attrition rates in some States average 10-15 percent, nearly double the rate for general education. Over a 10-year period, the number of special educators graduating from personnel preparation programs across the country has decreased by 35 percent. While emergency certification recently represented 10-20 percent of education certificates issued in several States, emergency certification in special education averaged 30 percent. More emergency certificates are issued in special education than in any other area of education. In response to increased demand, nearly half the States have established alternative certification procedures. The highly qualified provisions of NCLB and IDEA have particularly challenged rural and remote school districts. The problem is exacerbated in some States where schools face increasing special education enrollments. At a time when schools need highly qualified special education personnel, fewer are available. The author suggests that improvement can start with a shift in perspective and recommends that recruiting be handled as a process that encompasses gaining district commitment for organized recruitment/retention programs, creating a pool of highly qualified candidates, selecting the best applicants from the candidate pool and retaining veteran teachers. Suggestions for using the document and planning worksheets for each of the areas discussed are included.