Elizabeth Bettini

Dr. Elizabeth Bettini is an associate professor in the Special Education program at BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development and affiliated faculty with the Wheelock Education Policy Center (WEPC). Dr. Bettini’s research examines factors shaping the special education workforce, particularly how working conditions contribute to the shortage of special educators and to inequities in access to strong special educators, based on students’ disability, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Her current work is focused on identifying potential interventions to improve working conditions, to eliminate these inequities and ameliorate the shortage. She received the CEC Division for Research Martin J. Kauffman Distinguished Early Career Research Award in 2023. She previously taught students labeled with emotional/behavioral disorders in self-contained and inclusive settings in Arizona and Connecticut.