Rewriting the Narrative

In this special episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson revisits memorable moments from past conversations with educators, leaders, advocates and individuals with lived experience to explore what happens when we challenge assumptions and focus on the possibilities within every student. Through a collection of powerful insights and personal stories, guests reflect on the importance of looking beyond diagnoses, moving beyond compliance-driven approaches and creating truly inclusive environments where students feel valued, supported and empowered to contribute. The episode explores the role of empathy, curiosity and cultural understanding in building meaningful partnerships with families, as well as the importance of giving students opportunities to make choices, take risks and develop skills for life beyond the classroom. The conversation also considers how emerging technologies like AI can support educators while preserving the human qualities that make a lasting difference. Together, these reflections offer a reminder that rewriting the narrative begins with recognizing every student's strengths, potential and right to belong. Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.   Show notes Want to hear more? The excerpts featured in this compilation are just a small part of these important conversations. Explore the links below to listen to the full episodes and hear more from each of our featured guests. Building a Better Future: Funding, Tech, and the Special Education Workforce, featuring Dr. Danielle Kovach and Glenna Wright-Gallo Beyond Deficits: Why Dialect Awareness Matters in Special Education featuring Megan-Brette Hamilton, PhD, CCC-SLP At the Table Together: Parents, Educators, and the Human Side of Special Education featuring Maria Fausto Redefining Advocacy: How Educators Can Influence Change featuring Kim Knackstedt Creating a Thriving School Environment Through Strong Principal–Teacher Partnerships featuring Dr. Andy Jacks Starting Strong: Early Education, Intervention, and the Systems That Shape Children’s Lives featuring Dr. LaShorage Shaffer Advancing Inclusion: Humanizing Special Education from the US to Nigeria featuring Dr. Joana Idakwo-Agha 50 Years of IDEA: Reflecting on Progress, Purpose, and Possibility featuring Dr. Bill Bogdan Driven to Innovate Through Community: A Teacher of the Year’s Reflections featuring Rebecca Saunders Building Inclusive Workplaces: Preparing Students with Disabilities for Meaningful Careers featuring Kelie Hess Beyond the Word “Transition:” Whose Future Are We Preparing For? featuring Dr. Tara Frazier Culture, Identity, and Special Education featuring Dottie Vea, M.S., M.Ed. How AI Can Empower, Not Replace Educators featuring Richard Capone Who Gets to Belong? AI Can’t Rewrite the Narrative Alone featuring Olivia Fudge Coleman, PhD  

In this episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson welcomes Dr. Tara Frazier, associate director of the Student Accessibility Center and director of the THRIVE program at the University of North Florida, and president of CEC’s Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Frazier challenges traditional ideas about transition, describing it as a lifelong process centered on “living, learning, and working” rather than simply preparing students with disabilities for employment. The conversation explores how person-centered planning, higher expectations, and opportunities to take risks and learn from failure can help individuals with disabilities build confidence and independence. Frazier discusses the role of CEC–DCDT transition competencies in preparing professionals, the importance of creating accessible communities, and how educators can prepare students for a rapidly changing world. She also shares how growing up in a deaf family shaped her understanding of communication, accessibility, and inclusion.   Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson welcomes Olivia Fudge Coleman, PhD, assistant professor of exceptional student education at the University of Central Florida, for a conversation about rethinking how we support students with extensive support needs and the role artificial intelligence could play in creating more inclusive educational experiences. Drawing on her experience as a special education teacher and researcher, Coleman shares eye-opening findings from her work examining thousands of IEP goals and discusses why even well-trained educators can feel unprepared to develop truly individualized plans. The conversation explores the promise and pitfalls of generative AI, from helping teachers differentiate lessons and reduce time-consuming tasks to concerns about bias, student privacy and the need for stronger AI literacy. Coleman compares AI to a “sous chef” that can prepare and support, while reminding educators that they remain responsible for what ultimately reaches students. She also challenges educators to move away from deficit-based thinking, focus on what students can do and create meaningful opportunities for inclusion, making the case that when schools design better systems for the students with the greatest needs, everyone benefits.   Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson is joined by Dr. Clara Hauth of Marymount University and Dr. Catherine Creighton Martin of George Mason University, co-authors of The New Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers. Together, they explore the realities facing today's special educators, from navigating curriculum adaptation and case management to finding mentorship, building professional networks, and managing the challenges of teacher shortages and attrition. The conversation also highlights the power of high-leverage practices, emerging AI tools, and strengths-based approaches that help educators unlock every student's potential. Along the way, Clara and Catherine share the personal experiences that shaped their careers and explain why investing in teachers—from preparation through ongoing support—is essential to the success of students, families, and the future of special education.   Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode, host Ben Tillotson is joined by Megan-Brette Hamilton, PhD, CCC-SLP, chief staff officer for multicultural affairs at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), to explore the important distinction between language differences and communication disorders. Drawing on her experience as a clinician, researcher, and educator, Dr. Hamilton explains why dialects are rule-governed variations of language—not deficits—and how misunderstanding a student's linguistic background can lead to inappropriate evaluations, interventions, and missed opportunities to build on their strengths. The conversation explores the value of observing students across multiple settings, asking better questions rather than making assumptions, and focusing on what students can do instead of comparing them to a perceived standard. Dr. Hamilton also discusses the role of translanguaging, African American English, and other language variations in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of culturally responsive assessment and instruction. Throughout the episode, she highlights how meaningful collaboration among educators, speech-language pathologists, and families helps create more inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive.   Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson speaks with Dottie Vea, M.S., M.Ed., a PhD student in educational leadership and policy at the University of Utah, full-time special education teacher in the Salt Lake City School District, and a recipient of the Diversity Leadership Academy scholarship. Drawing from her Tongan heritage, Dottie shares how a collective mindset centered on “we” shapes her approach to teaching, advocacy, and relationship-building in special education. The conversation explores the importance of collaboration in student-centered IEPs, challenges engaging families who may feel disconnected from or distrustful of educational systems, and the value of finding common ground with students and communities beyond the classroom. Dottie and Ben also discuss culturally sustaining leadership, mentorship for educators from underrepresented backgrounds, balancing cultural identity with educational expectations, and the need for educators to reflect on their own wellbeing, assumptions, and biases before supporting students. Dottie also reflects on the lasting influence of her grandfather, a teacher and music educator in Tonga, whose example helped shape her passion for education and community. Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson sits down with Chad Rummel, M.Ed, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Exceptional Children, for a conversation about leadership, advocacy, and the evolving future of special education. Rummel reflects on his path into education and shares the early classroom experience that shaped his belief in inclusion and individualized learning. From there, the discussion expands into the strategic direction of CEC, including how the organization moved from strengthening internal operations to focusing more intentionally on member needs and the broader special education field in the years following COVID. The conversation also explores CEC’s approach to strategic planning, which pairs aspirational goals with measurable success metrics and flexible quarterly operational planning. Along the way, Rummel highlights key initiatives and accomplishments, including Project 2020, the Diversity Leadership Academy, expanded policy engagement with Congress, and the behind-the-scenes partnership work that helped launch new resources like CEC’s AI-driven teacher empowerment toolkit. Looking ahead, Ben and Chad discuss the priorities likely to shape CEC’s next strategic plan, including educator shortages, responsible AI integration, stronger collaboration with general education, and the challenges emerging from ongoing federal restructuring in education policy.   Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson is joined by Rebecca Saunders an intervention specialist at Hayes High School in Delaware, Ohio, and CEC's Teacher of the Year, to talk about her 23-year career supporting students with complex educational, behavioral, and medical needs. At the center of the conversation is a commitment to seeing and supporting the whole student—academically, emotionally, and beyond the classroom. Rebecca shares how strong professional communities, like CEC, have sustained her career, and how she has responded to real-world challenges with creativity and care. From launching a school-based pantry and free store during COVID to creating meaningful roles for students with disabilities, her work reflects a focus on dignity, inclusion, and practical impact. The episode also explores the realities educators face, from navigating systemic barriers to balancing IEP requirements, while emphasizing the importance of teamwork, starting small, and building on student strengths. Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson is joined by Dr. Joana Idakwo-Agha, member support officer for CEC’s Division of International Special Education Services, to explore what it takes to build inclusive, equitable special education across global contexts. Drawing on professional experiences in the United States, the United Kingdom, the UAE, and Nigeria, Dr. Idakwo-Agha reflects on common barriers she has observed worldwide, including delayed access to accommodations, low expectations for students with disabilities, and rigid definitions of success shaped by policy and systems rather than student potential. The conversation highlights how socioeconomic conditions influence access to transition supports and community partnerships, and why effective inclusion begins with families and culturally grounded understanding of disability. Idakwo-Agha also discusses tailoring educator professional development to local needs, the growing role of technology and social media in connecting families to resources, and the contrast between formal service infrastructures in the U.S. and more community-based supports elsewhere.   Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.

In this episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson is joined by parent advocates Debra Evans and Maria Fausto for an honest conversation about navigating the complexities of special education. Drawing from their personal experiences, Debra and Maria share what it’s like to move through systems involving IEPs, early medical interventions, and school-based supports—and the pivotal moments that transformed them into advocates for their children. The discussion highlights the importance of truly understanding a child’s needs, building collaborative relationships with educators, and developing the skills and confidence to advocate effectively. Debra and Maria also emphasize the critical role of clear communication among parents, schools, and medical professionals, and why empathy, respect, and gratitude are essential to strong parent–professional partnerships. Throughout the episode, they call for deeper collaboration, adequate resources, and greater awareness to ensure every child receives the support they deserve. The conversation closes with reflections on the lasting impact educators have—not only on students, but on families and entire communities.   Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.