Episode 2: The Numbers Game — Who's in Special Ed, and What It Actually CostsWhy Are Special Education Numbers Rising Across America?

Special education enrollment in the United States has reached record highs, but what's really driving the increase? Is it better diagnosis, changing academic expectations, broader legal protections, or something else entirely? (NOTE: If you don't want to hear about Jen's wild concert adventure and why her voice sounds like a 70-year-old smoker, bypass our banter and skip to the 6:50 time stamp) In Episode 2 of our special education series, we move beyond the history of IDEA and examine what's h

Get ready to get deep into the realm of Special Education. As a general ed teacher, I've had a love-hate relationship with how best to work with special education students and the teachers who support them. While I understand the necessity, the implementation in a general education classroom often felt awkward and overwhelming. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I'm also sure our special education teachers have similar grievances when dealing with general ed teachers. So I decided to do a deep div

Anne and Jen talk about where they've been and preview this season's upcoming educational topics. Jen had quite the school year, buried in new administration and navigating how to stay afloat. Now that summer vacay has arrived, Jen took lots of naps and has now found time to catch her breath and sit down for a preview of the episodes to come! Join us for all the banter you've missed!

In today's episode, Jen and I solve the problem with schools, and spoiler alert! It's not the schools! It's the people who attend them. More specifically, the economic status of the neighborhoods and the people who have to live in them. It's just a plain fact that students from lower-income and impoverished communities have worse educational outcomes than their more economically stable counterparts. If you want schools to improve, stop blaming the schools and start working to improve the lives o

In this episode of Transparency in Teaching, I had the pleasure of speaking with Madeline, a former student teacher of mine who is now an adjunct faculty member at Chaffey College. Madeline shared her unique journey into the field of education, highlighting her initial struggles with dyslexia and how overcoming these challenges inspired her to help others learn to read. Madeline discussed her current role as a part-time professor, teaching English to a diverse group of community college student

As of 2025, 32 states, along with Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, have some form of school voucher or voucher-like program (such as education savings accounts or tax-credit scholarships). Seems that voucher programs are spreading across the US like hot TikTok influencer video, captivating, but ya better check your facts first! And I, unfortunately, don't think voucher programs will be retreating back into the Pandora's box of alternate education any time soon. So public school teachers and the