This is our last episode before our much-needed summer break. Taking this break helps us to refocus and prepare for a new school year. We recently made another appearance on the Diverse Thinking Different Learning: A ChildN EXUS podcast with Dr. Karen Wilson, who has also joined us on our podcast before. Today, we are featuring that episode as an overview of what’s been happening, and continuing to happen, in the field of special education in the US since the Trump administration took office. En...
Jun 24, 2025•42 min•Ep. 350
The landscape of American education has undergone significant changes over the past few months, particularly in the realm of special education. Our diligence in staying informed about developments in our field is more important than ever as we approach the start of a new school year in just a few weeks. Our focus today centers on understanding 504s with our guest, April. Join us to learn more! April Rehrig is a special education advocate who does things differently. Her experiences as a teacher,...
Jun 10, 2025•24 min•Ep. 349
Today’s episode brings back Tracy Baynes to share her best tips and advice for getting your student involved in their education earlier rather than later. She gives practical steps middle school students can take to prepare for college success, even if they are low-income students. Join us to learn more! Tracy Baynes is the founder, president, and CEO of STEP , the Student Expedition Program. As an instructor in the oceanography field, Tracy noticed the persistent achievement gap between high-in...
May 27, 2025•30 min•Ep. 348
We continue our journey to view the education of our children holistically as we strive to develop them into productive and inclusive members of society. Tracy Baynes joins us to share her interesting work in helping students achieve unimaginable success. Tracy Baynes is the founder, president, and CEO of STEP , the Student Expedition Program. As an instructor in the oceanography field, Tracy noticed the persistent achievement gap between high-income and low-income students. She wanted to focus ...
May 13, 2025•24 min•Ep. 347
Today’s conversation covers the impact of recent executive orders on DEI, the historical context of the civil rights movements, and the importance of local community efforts. Our guest is Dr. OiYan Poon, a community-engaged research scholar, educator, storyteller, and leader for intersectional racial equity. Her research is focused on the racial politics of Asian Americans, and her book is titled Asian American is Not a Color . Show Highlights: Dr. Poon’s efforts to navigate her work under the n...
Apr 29, 2025•21 min•Ep. 346
Today’s episode features a fascinating conversation about strategies to support students and schools during unknowns and big transitions in education in the US. We welcome Robert Barnett to the podcast to discuss his innovations in teaching math and how his nonprofit, The Modern Classrooms Project , is training teachers to teach differently. Join us to learn more! Show Highlights: Robert’s background as a math teacher–and how he learned to do things differently The Modern Classrooms approach to ...
Apr 15, 2025•20 min•Ep. 345
Many parents of kids with disabilities share the same fear of what will happen to their child in adulthood and when they are no longer here to care for and advocate for them. Today’s guest is Kimberly McCarten, CEO of Jonathan’s Landing Foundation, in Orlando, FL. This remarkable organization is bringing innovation into how we service people in the adult transition by providing a bridge to communication and independence for adults across the autism spectrum. A division of Jonathan’s Landing is T...
Apr 01, 2025•25 min•Ep. 344
We love to offer solutions along with our discussions of the current problems in education today. Today’s fresh perspective comes from Dr. Emily Affolter, the director of the Sustainability Education Ph.D. at Prescott College. The focus of this program is on the nexus of social and environmental justice as enacted in teaching, learning, and leading. Emily’s interest is in culturally responsive teaching across grade levels to infuse social justice principles into education. Join us to learn more!...
Mar 18, 2025•16 min•Ep. 343
One of the benefits of hosting a podcast in our field of civil rights and special education is that we can do quick follow-ups to incidents as they happen. If you follow us on social media, you know we cover many topics there, and we utilize the podcast for more in-depth conversations about relevant happenings in our field. One such recent event is the "Dear Colleague" letter of 2/14/25 sent out by the US Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). It gives guidance clarifying how th...
Mar 05, 2025•23 min•Ep. 342
We are still in the early months of 2025, and there is a LOT happening in the state of California and across the country. There are many important conversations we need to have, and our guest, Mike Robbins, joins us to discuss the current state of affairs. We have concerns about what’s happening with DEI and special education, but we want to keep things in perspective and learn how we can find common ground in an increasingly divided and disconnected world. Join us to learn more from Mike! Mike ...
Feb 18, 2025•23 min•Ep. 341
There is SO much going on in our country right now, and we are faced with many unknowns about what’s coming next. We don't want to be part of the “noise,” but we want to give you accurate information about relevant topics. Today’s focus is on ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, particularly in schools. Our guest is Victoria Lucero, an immigration attorney, and returning guest from a few years ago. She practices special education law in New Mexico and US immigration law, so she’s the perfec...
Feb 04, 2025•23 min•Ep. 340
Teachers are our “boots on the ground” partners for all we want to accomplish in education. There are real mental health challenges all around us, and teachers need our support more than ever. Nothing will impact a child’s learning like a great teacher–and the reverse is also true, unfortunately. Join us as we explore this important topic! Karen Foley is the president and CEO of The Juvenile Protective Association , a Chicago nonprofit founded in 1901. The JPA provides therapy in schools and cli...
Jan 21, 2025•24 min•Ep. 339
Executive functioning is more than a catchy buzzword phrase in the world of education. What does it mean, how can we understand it better, and how can we do a better job of helping students? Join us as we explore this topic in today’s episode! Dr. Tara Williams is the owner and founder of Innovative Collegiate Consultants , which assists students with learning difficulties via a personalized plan based on their strengths and weaknesses. Students learn to hone their executive functioning skills a...
Jan 07, 2025•23 min•Ep. 338
Grassroots efforts usually work to bring about change. Unfortunately, our political leaders don’t look closely at education, disability rights, and reform in the same way we discuss these topics here in this space. Our goal is always to spur more conversations about education, disability rights, civil rights, and support for marginalized communities. Patrick Jones, aka “Mr. JonesX,” joins us for today’s discussion in light of the current political climate in the US. Join us! Show Highlights: Pat...
Nov 19, 2024•26 min•Ep. 337
Believe it or not, October is over. It was a busy month for IEP meetings, and the holiday rush is about to begin. In today’s episode, we want to give helpful insights about community building in a classroom through a simple, actionable technique; this conversation will benefit teachers, parents, and administrators–anyone who wants to foster confidence and community in kids. We are joined by Rob Sanders, a children’s book author who spent time as a 4th grade ELA teacher and writing coach. Rob is ...
Nov 05, 2024•17 min•Ep. 336
Today’s episode includes a look into the controversial Project 2025 plan, a 900-page roadmap created by far-right think tanks, like The Heritage Foundation. With the elections looming, we are giving our perspectives on some of the alarming implications of this proposal, particularly its potential to dismantle essential educational protections, erase civil rights language, and threaten public education across the United States. Tune in as we discuss how Project 2025 threatens diversity, equity, a...
Oct 22, 2024•17 min•Ep. 335
In today’s episode, Vickie and Amanda discuss the evolving landscape of college admissions with Emily Chase Coleman, CEO of HAI Analytics. They explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on admissions, highlighting the shift away from standardized testing and the importance of considering diverse factors in admissions decisions. Emily shares insights on the challenges faced by students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and emphasizes the need for more equitable admissions policies. If yo...
Oct 08, 2024•23 min•Ep. 334
Today’s episode focuses on a Supreme Court case in favor of eliminating affirmative action, which has huge implications in the world of education. In reality, what the Supreme Court does and how they make decisions stems from who the justices are. With every decision, we should evaluate if it aligns with what we believe and what is best for our country. The upcoming election is a pivotal time because of the impact on the Supreme Court and who our justices are. Join us for more! Show Highlights: ...
Oct 01, 2024•16 min•Ep. 333
Today’s focus is on accommodating children in the general education classroom to provide a truly inclusive environment. It’s vital for all of us involved in education to understand the WHY of these accommodations with an emphasis on empathy. Join us for a closer look. Dr. Jessica Werner is the founder of Northshore Learnin g , a team of consultants based in Minneapolis. They support schools, parents, and teachers worldwide to work with students of ALL types by incorporating cutting-edge neurosci...
Sep 24, 2024•26 min•Ep. 332
Teaching Inclusion, Acceptance, and Responsibility Through Character Development with Kristin Woodward-Vaassen and Icle Freeland Character education can happen in many forms. Today’s episode highlights a unique program that is fun, effective, and quickly growing in popularity. What child doesn’t love taking care of a pet? Join us to hear more from our two guests. Kristin Woodward-Vaassen founded Two by Two Character Development in 2005. The program fosters positive character traits in thousands ...
Sep 17, 2024•24 min•Ep. 331
Most of the country is off and running into another school year, and it’s a great time to reflect on where we can improve and how we can be more knowledgeable in supporting students and addressing their needs. This episode focuses on training for school staff, district staff, and parents. Today, we share part two of our interview with Andrew Goff. Part one aired at the end of the last school year and share his perspective as an early childhood teacher advocating for students at IEP meetings. If ...
Sep 10, 2024•30 min•Ep. 330
Today’s episode is a replay of our session at the BOOST Conference from a few months ago. It relates specifically to next week’s conversation, which is the reason we want to air it again. This episode was also featured as an encore episode over the summer. Enjoy! We loved having the opportunity to speak at the BOOST Conference about our podcast, the IEP system, and special education in general. The BOOST Conference is an annual event to inspire youth, learning, and change. Many different educati...
Sep 03, 2024•50 min•Ep. 329
Last week’s episode was about central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) and its impacts on a student’s ability to learn. For this episode, we are excited to welcome Dr. Stephanie Meyer to the show. She is an audiologist in the Rio Rancho public schools who will share her perspective about how instructional audio can be more inclusive. Her career as an audiologist in public school systems spans almost 30 years! Show Highlights: Dr. Stephanie’s journey into audiology and working with kids in imp...
Aug 27, 2024•20 min•Ep. 328
Today’s show expands on our previous episode with Dr. Connie McReynolds in which we discussed central auditory processing deficits in kids with autism or ADHD. Even though many experts would argue that this is a medical disorder, it has profound impacts on education and certainly qualifies as an area of unique need for many children. Join us to learn more! Show Highlights: Common pushbacks from school districts and characteristics of CAPD (central auditory processing disorder) Children with CAPD...
Aug 20, 2024•22 min•Ep. 327
It’s the beginning of another school year, and we are coming to you with many informative episodes to prepare and support you in whatever challenges this new school year may bring. Today’s episode focuses on a better way to assess, intervene, and support kids with ADHD by identifying and addressing the root causes. We welcome today’s guest, Dr. Connie McReynolds, a licensed psychologist and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor with well over 30 years of experience working with children and adults ...
Aug 13, 2024•24 min•Ep. 326
Welcome! Today’s episode takes a big-picture view of what’s going on in education with our taxpayer dollars and how we can educate more parents about their general rights in advocating for their children. We use a recent California case as an example of how things can go so wrong–and cost millions of dollars–in special education law. Tim Adams has been in law practice for over 23 years after working as a lay advocate in the special education legal clinic at the Pepperdine Law School. As presiden...
Aug 06, 2024•31 min•Ep. 325
We are joined today by a special guest, Michael Hingson, host of the Unstoppable Mindset podcast . We have shared a lot of time on each other’s podcasts and learned a lot from Michael’s perspective on special education, especially what he experienced in the very early days of special ed. Join us to learn more about Michael’s life and work! Michael Hingson has a unique story. With a master’s degree in physics, Mike is an educator, best-selling author, inspirational speaker, and disability advocat...
Jul 30, 2024•24 min•Ep. 324
We're happy to bring you some of our listener favorites during the next few weeks. These episodes are sure to pique your interest by featuring topics important to each of us Enjoy! We are pivoting from our normal education-centric topics today to take a broader view of the financial side of raising a child with a disability. We want to make sure that families, and people working with these families, have all the resources and tools for a well-rounded toolkit for supporting their kids. We welcome...
Jul 23, 2024•37 min•Ep. 323
We're happy to bring you some of our listener favorites during the next few weeks. These episodes are sure to pique your interest by featuring topics important to each of us Enjoy! We recently had the chance to speak at the BOOST Conference about our podcast, the IEP system, and special education in general. The BOOST Conference is an annual event to inspire youth, learning, and change. Many different educational professionals attend the conference in Palm Springs, California to participate in c...
Jul 16, 2024•34 min•Ep. 322
We are taking a summer break for July to soak up a little summer fun with our families, so we are replaying some of our most popular episodes that are packed with information and inspiration. We will be back in August with new episodes to prepare us for the 2024-2025 school year. Today’s replay first aired a few weeks ago during Mental Health Awareness Month. Maria Barrera helps us understand the need for a more comprehensive and relevant curriculum focused on skill-building and emotional awaren...
Jul 09, 2024•20 min•Ep. 321
