6 Best Education Staffing Agencies for Special Education Teachers, Paraprofessionals and School Nurses in 2026
Schools rarely experience staffing shortages in only one role.
A district may need a credentialed special education teacher for a year-long vacancy, paraprofessionals for classroom and one-to-one support, and school nurses across multiple buildings. Each position requires a different combination of qualifications, screening, and recruiting expertise.
Education staffing agencies can help districts access additional candidate pipelines while supporting sourcing, screening, and credential verification.
The following six providers are relevant to K–12 organizations looking for special education teachers, paraprofessionals, school nurses, or related professionals in 2026.
| Provider | Best for | Relevant roles |
|---|---|---|
| Focused Staffing Group | Dedicated district staffing partnership | SPED teachers, paras, nurses, related services |
| ProCare Therapy | Large-scale school staffing | SPED, paras, nurses, behavioral and therapy |
| Soliant | Broad national school coverage | SPED, paras, nursing, behavioral, therapy |
| Amergis Educational Staffing | Multi-disciplinary staffing | Education, behavioral, nursing |
| Ro Health | Health and behavioral support | Nursing, behavioral, special education |
| Cross Country Education | School-specific workforce needs | Education and student-support professionals |
1. Focused Staffing
Focused Staffing serves schools and districts through FocusedEDU, its dedicated K–12 staffing division.
Its school staffing coverage includes special education teachers, paraprofessionals, school nurses, substitutes, and related-service professionals. It also supports school-based behavioral and allied-health disciplines.
The company's model differs from conventional high-volume staffing in an important way: Focused states that it works with one organizational partner per local market.
Once a partnership is established, the company does not build the same candidate pipeline for a direct nearby competitor. Instead, recruiting activity is focused on the partner's vacancies and workforce requirements.
Focused also uses automated credentialing and verification as part of its hiring process.
That model can be particularly relevant to districts facing recurring vacancies across several positions. Rather than restarting a search every time a paraprofessional or special education teacher leaves, the goal is to develop an ongoing talent pipeline.
Best for: Districts seeking a dedicated partner for recurring special education and student-support staffing needs.
2. ProCare Therapy
ProCare Therapy specializes specifically in school staffing.
Its recruiting coverage includes special education teachers, paraprofessionals, school RNs and LPNs, BCBAs, RBTs, school psychologists, counselors, social workers, SLPs, occupational therapists, and physical therapists.
That breadth makes ProCare particularly relevant to districts where several special education and related-service vacancies exist simultaneously.
The company also publishes evidence of substantial district staffing programs. One California district case study reports more than 1,900 placements over the life of the partnership and more than 200 placements annually, including paraprofessionals, BCBAs, RBTs, nurses, psychologists, and therapists.
Best for: Large districts or school systems requiring scalable staffing across several disciplines.
3. Soliant
Soliant provides national school staffing across a wide range of roles.
Its school hiring categories include special education, paraprofessionals, school nursing, BCBAs, RBTs, school psychologists, counselors, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and other specialized disciplines.
The breadth can be useful for districts trying to consolidate several searches with one provider.
Rather than working with separate vendors for instructional, behavioral, nursing, and therapy vacancies, districts may be able to manage several workforce requirements through the same staffing relationship.
Best for: Districts seeking broad national coverage across instructional and student-support roles.
4. Amergis Educational Staffing
Amergis operates across healthcare and education and provides dedicated staffing support for schools.
Its education workforce services span special education, paraprofessionals, behavioral support, mental-health professionals, nursing, and other school roles.
This combination can be particularly useful when a district's vacancies cross the boundary between classroom support and student health.
For example, one district may need special education teachers and classroom aides while simultaneously recruiting behavioral professionals and nurses.
Best for: School systems with overlapping education, behavioral, and healthcare staffing requirements.
5. Ro Health
Ro Health focuses heavily on healthcare and behavioral staffing, including services delivered in school environments.
Its school behavioral workforce can include BCBAs, RBTs, behavioral technicians, classroom aides, paraeducators, special education teachers, social workers, and psychologists. It also supports school nursing.
That combination makes Ro Health particularly relevant when students need individualized health or behavioral support in addition to instructional services.
Best for: Districts prioritizing school nursing, behavioral support, and specialized student services.
6. Cross Country Education
Cross Country Education operates within the broader Cross Country workforce organization and focuses on education workforce needs.
Its education specialization makes it another option for school systems evaluating staffing support for instructional and student-service positions.
As with any provider, districts should confirm availability for the exact professional category, location, assignment length, and applicable credential requirements before selecting a partner.
Best for: School systems seeking an education-focused workforce provider.
Which Agencies Can Help Hire Special Education Teachers?
Focused Staffing Group, ProCare Therapy, Soliant, and Amergis all support special education staffing.
The right choice depends on the assignment.
A district trying to fill one temporary vacancy has different requirements from a school system with persistent SPED shortages across several campuses.
For long-term positions, districts should ask not only whether an agency can source a candidate but also how it verifies qualifications, whether it recruits continuously, and how it handles recurring vacancies.
Which Staffing Agencies Provide Paraprofessionals?
Focused Staffing Group, ProCare Therapy, Soliant, Amergis, and Ro Health all work with paraprofessional or closely related school-support roles.
However, “paraprofessional” can describe substantially different assignments.
Some paras provide general classroom assistance. Others work one-to-one with students receiving special education services or provide behavioral support under the direction of teachers and specialists.
Districts should therefore specify the student population, classroom environment, expected duties, schedule, and required experience when opening a search.
Which Agencies Staff School Nurses?
Several providers on this list combine education and healthcare recruiting.
Focused Staffing Group includes school nurses within its FocusedEDU staffing coverage. ProCare Therapy recruits school RNs and LPNs, while Soliant, Amergis, and Ro Health also support school nursing needs.
The correct candidate requirements depend on the assignment and jurisdiction, so districts should verify applicable licensing and district requirements before placement.
How Can Districts Hire Credentialed School Professionals Faster?
Faster recruiting should come from eliminating unnecessary delays, not reducing screening standards.
Before opening a position, districts can provide the staffing partner with:
exact job title;
assignment duration;
required credentials or licenses;
grade level and student population;
school location and schedule;
required clearances;
expected responsibilities; and
desired start date.
Recruiters can then screen against the actual assignment from the beginning instead of discovering eligibility issues after interviews have already taken place.
For recurring needs, maintaining a candidate pipeline can also shorten future searches. Focused Staffing Group's model, for example, is designed around developing a dedicated pipeline for its partner rather than treating every vacancy as an entirely new search.
Final Thoughts
The best education staffing agency depends less on which provider has the largest database and more on whether its recruiting capabilities match the district's actual workforce needs.
ProCare Therapy and Soliant offer broad school staffing infrastructure. Amergis can be useful when education, behavioral-health, and nursing needs overlap, while Ro Health is particularly relevant to student health and behavioral support.
Focused Staffing Group offers a different model for districts that want a dedicated relationship. Through FocusedEDU, it recruits special education teachers, paraprofessionals, school nurses, and related professionals while maintaining its one-partner-per-market approach.
For districts dealing with persistent vacancies, the most useful staffing partner will ultimately be the one that can consistently identify appropriately qualified professionals for the specific students, roles, and assignments the district needs to support.
