The Special Education Mess
Part I: The Belly of the Beast
In this episode, hosts Amanda Werner and Trina English discuss the complexities of special education, exploring its oppressive nature and the civil rights journey that has shaped it. They delve into various terms and acronyms such as IEP (Individualized Education Plans), 504 Plans, and disabilities categories including Intellectual Disability, Emotional Disturbance, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Amanda shares her first-hand experience being an intervention teacher and subbing in special day classes. They underline the systemic issues like teacher shortages, the lack of nuanced care, and the correlation between special education and broader educational problems. The conversation also touches on the importance of relationship building in intervention, and the need for supporting neurodivergent students more effectively.
Part II: How Did We Make This Mess?
In this episode, Trina English takes listeners on a dive deep into the complexities and challenges faced by special education within the K-12 education system, particularly in the context of the national teacher shortage crisis. This discussion highlights the multifaceted issues causing a significant shortage of highly qualified special education (SPED) teachers, the bureaucratic hurdles, and the ethical dilemmas involved.
Part III: Real Talk
In this episode of the Teacher Shortage Crisis Podcast, co-host Trina welcomes Manuwella ("Mani") Allen, a former special education teacher with over 20 years of experience, to discuss the unique challenges and insights of the special education field. Recorded just before the 2024 school year, Manny shares her profound experiences and the struggles she faced while working with students of varying disabilities in a moderate to severe special day class.
The conversation covers the complexities of balancing the needs of medically fragile, emotionally disturbed, and intellectually disabled students in one classroom. Mani recounts the physical, emotional, and spiritual tolls of the job, emphasizing the burnout that comes from always prioritizing students' needs over administrative and systemic demands.
Key topics include the burdensome and often superficial IEP (Individualized Education Program) processes, inadequate support and training for paraprofessionals, and the systemic flaws in how special education is managed and executed in schools. Mani also touches on the challenges new special education teachers face, the administrative pressures to downplay students' needs, and the emotional resilience required to continue advocating for students in a broken system.
Mani's story is both inspiring and sobering, shedding light on the critical yet often under-appreciated role of special education teachers. She offers advice for parents navigating the IEP process and stresses the importance of finding supportive connections within the educational community.
The episode concludes with a call to action for educators, parents, and policymakers to recognize and address the dire state of special education to support these essential educators and their students better.
Part IV: Real Talk
In this episode of the Teacher Shortage Crisis Podcast, a transitional kindergarten teacher, Elyse Dorflinger, shares her unique insights as both a general education teacher and the mother of an autistic child. Elyse describes the painstaking process of securing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for her son, highlighting systemic inadequacies in special education support. The discussion addresses the overwhelming struggles faced by teachers, the lack of proper resources and training, and the significant impact on students with disabilities. Elyse's story sheds light on the broader issue of educational inequity and emphasizes the urgent need for systemic change.
Part V: The BIG Missing Piece
Why We All Lose Out When Neurodivergent Students Are Missed