The Effect of Family–Educator Relationships on Special Educator Well-Being

Educator well-being is fundamental to the success of educational systems and is linked to improved student outcomes, teacher retention, and school success. Educator well-being is a multidimensional construct that reflects flourishing and encompasses professional fulfillment, a strong sense of purpose, resilience, and a balance between relationships, individual needs, and workplace conditions. The well-being of educators is deeply rooted in the quality of their relationships. While research documents the effect of various relationships on educator well-being, the effect of family partnership on educator well-being is not well documented. The purpose of this qualitative study, which included interviews with 22 special education teachers in the US, is to explore how family partnerships affect special educator well-being. We found that trust, communication, and advocacy were aspects of relationships with their students’ families that affected special education teacher well-being through impacting their perceived professional effectiveness and emotional fulfillment. Implications are discussed.