Fifty years after the Education for All Handicapped Children Act became law, advocates and education officials warn that funding shortfalls and staffing shortages threaten the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s promise. The number of students served has more than doubled since the law’s inception, and states struggle to provide adequate resources and qualified special education staff. Pennsylvania’s Attract-Prepare-Retain initiative aims to stabilize special education staffing with personalized mentoring, district collaboration and targeted professional development for new teachers—efforts that state leaders say could serve as a model for retention nationwide. The initiative targets factors that push special educators out, including isolation, administrative burden, and insufficient training. School and college leaders must weigh investment in preparation and mentoring, program alignment between K–12 and postsecondary teacher education, and sustainable funding models to prevent program erosion and ensure compliance with federal mandates.