It's Special

“What’s the common thread that brings all the families together? And it’s, we’re worried, we are afraid for our kids, we know that we’ve got smart capable kids, but they can’t read.” - Bill DeHaven

Host and Special Education Law Attorney Tracey Spencer Walsh speaks with Bill DeHaven, Head of School at Villa Maria School in Stamford, Connecticut, about the importance of a small student to teacher ratio for students with learning challenges and language impairment.

Tracey’s entire career has led up to this moment. Bringing her over twenty-five years of expertise in the legal industry to the air waves, Tracey dives deeper into the world of special needs and civil rights law to give parents the relevant and supportive information they crave and need, without having to sift through a mountain of articles or paperwork. It’s about cutting through the constant noise, pulling the most important tidbits out, and absorbing key advice and anecdotes that help you and your child excel on their journey.

For more information about Villa Maria School, visit http://villamariaschool.org/. 

Host Tracey Spencer Walsh sits down with Lori Podvesker, Director of Disability and Education Policy at INCLUDEnyc and longtime advocate for equity in New York City schools, for an eye-opening conversation about transparency, access, and the lived realities of families navigating special education. With decades of experience across policy, teaching, and parent advocacy, Lori breaks down the systemic barriers that continue to impact students with disabilities and what it will take to build a school system rooted in dignity, accountability, and real support.

Here is what you'll take away from this important conversation:🟡 Why families continue to face the same challenges in special education, decades after promises of reform
🟡 How the city’s broken busing system has become a civil rights issue for students with disabilities
🟡 The difference between legal compliance and meaningful, student-centered support
🟡 Why culturally responsive, multilingual family engagement must be non-negotiable
🟡 How classification language shapes equity and why New York State is pushing to change it
🟡 What true transparency looks like, and why families shouldn’t have to navigate the system alone

“Families are trying to do everything right, and yet the system still makes them fight for what their children are entitled to. Transparency shouldn’t be this hard.” - Lori Podvesker

This episode is essential listening for any parent, educator, policymaker, or advocate committed to improving outcomes for students with disabilities. Whether you’ve experienced systemic barriers firsthand or want to better understand the urgent issues facing NYC families today, Lori’s insight offers both clarity and a powerful call to action.

🎧 Press play now and rethink what real accountability, equity, and partnership in special education should look like.

Lori is the Director of Disability and Education Policy at the nonprofit INCLUDEnyc, where she has led initiatives for more transparency, accountability, and improved outcomes for New York City students with disabilities. She is also a member of the New York State Commissioner’s Advisory Panel for Special Education Services, which advises the New York State Office of Special Education to the Governor, Legislature, and Commissioner, on the unmet educational needs of students with disabilities. Lori is the former Vice-Chair of the Panel for Educational Policy of the New York City Department of Education, also known as the New York City Board of Education. Prior to these roles, Lori taught both general and special education in public and non-public schools in New York City and Newark, NJ. She lives in Brooklyn and has a 19-year-old son with developmental disabilities who attends a District 75 program on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

More information about INCLUDEnyc here >> https://includenyc.org/

“I think Ireland at the moment is trying to strike that balance between respecting and honoring things like the Irish language, which is coming back with a vengeance at the moment and is becoming a very trend thing to become involved with, you know, and very kind of old Irish, but then also bring forward very new elements. I would hope that that continues and that reflects and moves forward to special education provision in Ireland.”

Host and Special Education Law Attorney Tracey Spencer Walsh speaks with Órla Mannion, Senior Public Affairs Executive in the Dublin Chamber of Commerce,  about what it’s like for children with disabilities in Ireland and their education system.

Tracey’s entire career has led up to this moment. Bringing her over twenty-five years of expertise in the legal industry to the air waves, Tracey dives deeper into the world of special needs and civil rights law to give parents the relevant and supportive information they crave and need, without having to sift through a mountain of articles or paperwork. It’s about cutting through the constant noise, pulling the most important tidbits out, and absorbing key advice and anecdotes that help you and your child excel on their journey.

“Autism is a disorder of communication. So, it’s difficult for individuals with autism sometimes to communicate in a way where they’re understood, or they can advocate for themselves. In other ways, their communication is the most honest and genuine communication.”

Host and Special Education Law Attorney Tracey Spencer Walsh speaks with Dr. Ivy Feldman, Executive Director at The Keswell School, about autism as a spectrum disorder and the misconceptions around autism.

Tracey’s entire career has led up to this moment. Bringing her over twenty-five years of expertise in the legal industry to the air waves, Tracey dives deeper into the world of special needs and civil rights law to give parents the relevant and supportive information they crave and need, without having to sift through a mountain of articles or paperwork. It’s about cutting through the constant noise, pulling the most important tidbits out, and absorbing key advice and anecdotes that help you and your child excel on their journey.

For more information about The Keswell School, visit https://www.keswellschool.org/.

"I'm a problem solver. I don't easily take no for an answer. So when I was unhappy with what was being provided to me, through my school district and through my experience with my children and I continued to seek alternatives, it was through that experience that led me to be able to help my own children and to obtain for them the free and appropriate education that they were entitled."

Host and Special Education Law Attorney Tracey Spencer Walsh speaks with Jodi Liston, President and Managing Director of Harris Kramer & Liston, about how parents and families can advocate for their children to receive free and appropriate education they are entitled.

Tracey’s entire career has led up to this moment. Bringing her over twenty-five years of expertise in the legal industry to the air waves, Tracey dives deeper into the world of special needs and civil rights law to give parents the relevant and supportive information they crave and need, without having to sift through a mountain of articles or paperwork. It’s about cutting through the constant noise, pulling the most important tidbits out, and absorbing key advice and anecdotes that help you and your child excel on their journey.

For more information about Harris Kramer & Liston, visit https://www.harriskramer.com/.

Special Education Law Attorney Tracey Spencer Walsh speaks with Dr. Kimberly Busi about the importance of an appropriate school environment for children who are twice exceptional. 

For more information about Quad Preparatory School, visit https://www.quadprep.org/. 

Special Education Law Attorney Tracey Spencer Walsh speaks with Denise Marshall about the importance of community for families with children with disabilities and how the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) supports families nationwide.

For more information about COPAA, visit https://www.copaa.org/.