An increasing array of diverse instructional models is being made available to all students due to school reform through publicly funded charter schools. Emerging at the intersection of innovations in technology, shifting theories of learning, and the changing perception of schools as the situational broker of education, non-classroom not-for-profit charter high schools offer students alternatives to traditional classroom learning. Non-classroom charter high schools (hereafter NCCHSs) with instruction delivery models of independent study, synchronous or asynchronous distance, or virtual learning are experiencing an increase in the enrollment of students with individualized education programs (IEPs). Special Education in NCCHSs is a new phenomenon. Using qualitative phenomenological research methods, this study sought to explore the phenomenon of special education in NCCHSs through the experiences of special educators working in them. The statement of problem for this research was that little is known about special education in NCCHSs. The research questions asked (1) what are the experiences of special educators working in NCCHSs, (2) what skills do special educators use in NCCHSs. The research tool was interviews with special educators working in NCCHSs. The study findings suggest special educators working in NCCHSs enjoy a sense of liberation, empowerment, and personal-professional alignment as a result of their choice to work in a NCCHS. However, the study findings also reveal special educators experience significant challenges and feelings of professional compromise due to the disconnect of federal disability and special education laws with the reality of special education in NCCHSs. Study participants described liberated professional energy, a pioneering sense of discovery, and a commitment to serving children with special needs as essential to the phenomenon of special education in NCCHSs. Recommendations from this study call for an alignment of the laws and practices governing special education in NCCHSs, an expansion of skills in 21st-century special education credentialing programs, and a greater reciprocity between NCCHSs and traditional school districts to provide careful and discriminating choices to students with IEPs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]