For decades, the supply of qualified special educators has been critically low. In 1983, the shortage of special educators was highlighted in "A Nation at Risk," and the situation remains much the same 25 years later. The most recently available data indicate that just 0.86 teachers were prepared for each available position in special education, while more than twice as many teachers were produced for each available position in elementary education. In this article, the authors emphasize that there is a pressing need not only to recruit and retain qualified special education teachers, but also to diversify the special education teaching force. Failure to address these issues will mean that the most vulnerable individuals, children with special needs, are the ones most likely to suffer the most. (Contains 6 notes.)