DiveIn: Diving into Special Education's Most Complex and Pressing Debates

In this episode of DiveIn, I sit down with Kuna Tavalin to discuss the termination of 95% of staff at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). We explore the implications of this near-shuttering of OSEP amid the ongoing government shutdown, and what it means for students with disabilities nationwide. We also talk about what’s next — and what you can do to take action and help stop these cuts.

Call to Action Legislative Action Center | Council for Exceptional Children

CEC Position on the federal role on education

Episode Transcript

In this episode of DiveIn, we bring you the season finale of Learning to Live Together, our special miniseries about school integration and inclusive education. Learning to Living Together is a four-part podcast series about inclusion and school integration in the twenty-first century. Across the four episodes, we delve into the meanings, tensions, and practices of integration and inclusion in today’s context.

In episode 4, we bring all our friends together to share their experiences with each other. , We discuss with all of our friends the commonalities and differences across social movements and struggles toward inclusion, whether it's disability, race, gender, and how these are playing out across the United States and the areas of convergence across movements that can service catalysts for collaboration.

EPISODE TRASNCRIPT

This podcast episode explores the unique experiences and strengths that special educators with disabilities bring to their classrooms. Host Federico Waitoller and guests discuss how disabilities are valuable cultural repertoires of teachers that enrich work and the learning experiences that provide to their students. Insights from special educators, such as Hannah Benson, shed light on the transformative power of diverse identities in teaching. The episode delves into ongoing research by Dr. Amy Tondreau and Dr. Laurie Rabinowitz, highlighting the crucial role that acknowledging and supporting teachers with disabilities plays in fostering inclusive and effective educational environments.

Transcript

Recommended readings

Sustaining Cultural and Disability Identities in the Literacy Classroom, K-6

Sustaining Disabled Youth: Centering Disability in Asset Pedagogies

In this episode of DiveIn, we bring you the third part of Learning to Live Together, our special miniseries about school integration and inclusive education. Learning to Living Together is a four-part podcast series about inclusion and school integration in the twenty-first century. Across the four episodes, we delve into the meanings, tensions, and practices of integration and inclusion in today’s context.

In episode 3, we focus on the practical aspects of integration and inclusion, focusing specifically on how to go about achieving integration and inclusion in school communities. We learn about the importance of funding, community buy-in, and the need to change mindsets if we are to experience integration. We also learn about a specific framework for integration developed by youth organizers that focuses on race and enrollment, resources, relationships, restorative justice, and representation. And perhaps most importantly, we hear about the importance of listening to students and involving them in school decisions and solutions, as well as developing relationships and caring for one another.

EPISODE TRASNCRIPT

 In this episode, we bring you the second part of Learning to Live Together. The miniseries was originally produced for the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance (MAP) Center with Sarah Diem, a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri. Learning to Live Together is a four-part podcast series about inclusion and school integration in the twenty-first century. Across the four episodes, we delve into the meanings, tensions, and practices of integration and inclusion in today’s context. In this second episode, our guests discuss important questions than those posed in episode one: Should we continue to strive for inclusion, school integration, or inclusive education? Is it an all-or-nothing approach, or should we be thinking about it differently depending on the context? Is it always worth it? What are the benefits and challenges?

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

In this first episode of the third season of DiveIn launch of this four-part mini series called Learning to Live Together. The mini series was originally produced for the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance (MAP) Center with Sarah Diem, a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri. Learning to Live Together is a four-part podcast series about inclusion and school integration in the twenty-first century. Across the four episodes, we delve into the meanings, tensions, and practices of integration and inclusion in today’s context. In this first episode, we discuss different understandings and terms that are used to describe similar longings. Terms such as inclusion and integration, and inclusive education are used depending on individuals’ social struggles and what kind of social group they may be discussing. In episode one, we hear from our interviewees as to how they define integration and inclusion, and how their experiences and identities impact these definitions.  

EPISODE TRNSCRIPT

Episode Transcript

Other Related Episodes

In this episode, I sit down with Naomi N. Shelton and Jennifer Coco to unpack the complex realities facing students with disabilities (SWDs) in the charter school sector. We explore the persistent patterns of exclusion that keep SWDs on the margins—and, more importantly, spotlight the powerful efforts underway to disrupt these inequities. Our conversation highlights community-rooted charter schools led by Black, Brown, and Indigenous educators and leaders, revealing the transformative potential of these models to redefine charter schools.

We also examine the shifting political landscape, discussing how recent policies and the Trump administration’s influence could reshape the capacity of charter schools to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Finally, we take a critical look at the growing movement for religious charter schools and the risks they pose for equitable, accessible education.

This is a must-listen for anyone invested in educational justice, disability rights, and the evolving charter school movement.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Some of my work on this topic

Excluded by Choice: Urban Students With Disabilities in the Education Marketplace

Can Charter Schools Address Racial Inequities Evidenced in Access to the General Education Classroom? A Longitudinal Study in Chicago Public Schools

A Longitudinal Comparison of Enrollment Patterns of Students Receiving Special Education in Urban Neighborhood and Charter Schools

In this episode of 'DiveIn,' host Federico Waitoller explores the current tumultuous changes affecting the Department of Education under the Trump administration. With guest experts Kuna Tavalin and Kareem Thompson, the discussion focuses on proposed plans to dismantle the department, move IDEA programs to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and how these shifts impact students with disabilities. As administrative and legal staff faces drastic reductions and uncertainty looms, the podcast delves into the legal implications, congressional responses, and the overarching political landscape that affects special education across the U.S.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

In this podcast, we tackle a pressing and timely issue: the growing role of AI in education. With Mary Rice, Joaquin Arguello, and Richard Carter Jr., I explore the potential benefits and hidden risks of AI technologies. Can AI help address long-standing inequities faced by students with disabilities and other marginalized learners—or could it deepen existing disparities? We examine questions of transparency, standardization, and the evolving relationship between AI, teachers, and students. Beyond critique, we also imagine what AI could be: a tool for transforming schools into more equitable, just, and inclusive learning spaces.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE

Resources

Let’s CHAT About Artificial Intelligence for Students With Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

The Use of Artificial Intelligence with Students with Identified Disabilities: A Systematic Review with Critique