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

Join Dr. Federico Waitoller for DiveIn, the podcast that explores the most complex and pressing debates in Special Education. Sponsored by the Division of Research of the Council for Exceptional Children, this series tackles critical and timely topics, including current policy debates, instructional design, disciplinary disparities, school choice, workforce diversity, and funding disparities. DiveIn does not shy away from tough conversations. Through thought-provoking discussions with experts and changemakers, DiveIn will challenge your current perspectives and deepen your understanding, offering actionable insights to drive equity in special education teaching, research, and policy. Tune in and be part of the movement to transform special education through an equity-driven lens. Are you ready? Let's DiveIn!

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Latest episodes

18 December 2025

Two Camps, One Question: How Should We Understand Interventions in Special Education?

In this episode of DiveIn, host Federico Waitoller invites Professor Aydin Bal to discuss the concept of interventions within special education. They explore the differing perspectives of traditionalists and critical approaches, examining how each group's approach impacts educational practices. The episode offers insights into his culturally responsive framework for interventions, emphasizing the importance of dynamic and collaborative approaches that center on the needs and knowledge of local community members.

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01 December 2025

IDEA at 50: Is Policy Compliance Enough to Address Disproportionality?

In this episode of DiveIn, host Federico Waitoller sits down with scholar Dr. Catherine Voulgarides to unpack one of the most persistent—and politically charged—issues in special education: racial and linguistic disproportionality.

Fifty years after the passage of IDEA, states are still required to identify and address significant disproportionality. But is compliance with federal rules enough to move the needle on long-standing inequities? Drawing on her multi-state research project and upcoming book Beyond Compliance: Reclaiming Agency in Special Education, Voulgarides offers a rare systems-level view of how monitoring actually works—across federal, state, district, and school levels—and why the current approach often falls short.

This episode takes listeners inside the often-invisible policy machinery that shapes educational equity—and asks what it will take to move from compliance to actual change, providing recommendations for state and school administrators, practitioners, and researchers.

Episode Transcript

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20 October 2025

Knock Knock! Is there anybody left in the Office of Special Education Services ?

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

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16 October 2025

Learning to Live Together Ep. 4 Season Finale

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

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25 September 2025

Empowering Disabled Educators: Breaking Barriers in Special Ed

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

DiveIn Miniserie: Learning to Live Together Part 3

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

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