The Future of Special Ed: AI & Empowerment, with Chad Rummel Accelerating Education Podcast 🎙️ Chad Rummel, M.Ed, CAE Executive Director of Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) with host Richard Capone

Episode P2E3, Apr 13, 2026 Sponsored by Let's Go Learn https://www.letsgolearn.com

About the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) CEC (Council for Exceptional Children) - https://exceptionalchildren.org/ Connect with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): The CEC is the largest professional organization in the world for special educators, offering 18 specialized divisions and chapters in nearly every state.

Summary

In this episode of Accelerating Education, Richard Capone interviews Chad Rummel, Executive Director of CEC, about re-imagining support for special education teachers, the role of AI, and the future of the industry. They discuss innovative tools like the Teacher Empowerment Toolkit, challenges in workload, and strategies to empower educators. As IEPs grow from 4 pages to nearly 30, the "compliance trap" is causing record-breaking burnout. Chad explains how the CEC is fighting back with the Teacher Empowerment Toolkit (TET)—a new CEC member benefit resource designed to slash administrative workload and put the focus back on student instruction.

Key Topics

— Support for special education teachers — The role of AI in education — The Teacher Empowerment Toolkit and technology modernization — Workload reduction and workload management — Future trends and leadership in special education

Chapters

0:00 - Introduction to Chad Rummel & CEC 1:18 - Moving from Compliance to Empowerment 1:58 - Launching the Teacher Empowerment Toolkit 4:41 - The Role of AI in Special Education 6:00 - AI in Special Education: Opportunities and Concerns 7:54 - How Administrators Can Support Staff 8:37 - Addressing Educator Shortages and Future Trajectories 9:10 - Solving the Educator Shortage in the Next 5 Years 11:51 - CEC's Evolving Leadership and Support for Teachers 12:32 - A Message to Overwhelmed Teachers 13:15 - How Do You Support Teachers Today? 14:43 - Rapid Fire: The Future is Positive 17:15 - The Importance of Supporting Teachers, Not Replacing Them 17:43 - What Gives Chad the Most Hope Today?

#SpecialEducation #SPED #TeacherBurnout #IEP #EdTech #AIinEducation #CEC #TeacherEmpowerment #SpecialEdTeacher #LetsGoLearn

The "Closed" AI Model in Special Education, with Dr. Angie Balsley Accelerating Education Podcast 🎙️ Guest: Angie Balsley, Ed.D. CEO of Unified Leadership UnifiedLeadership.org with host Richard Capone

Episode P2E2, Feb 19, 2026 Sponsored by Let's Go Learn https://www.letsgolearn.com

Summary

In this episode of Accelerating Education, Richard Capone interviews Dr. Angie Balsley, CEO of Unified Leadership, discussing her extensive background in special education and the challenges faced in the field. They explore the importance of relationships and systems in special education, the innovative FAPE Compass tool designed to assist educators, and the future of special education leadership. Dr. Balsley shares insights on the impact of AI in education and the positive feedback from districts using FAPE Compass.

Takeaways

— Dr. Balsley's background in special education is deeply personal and rooted in inclusive practices. — Strong relationships are foundational to effective special education leadership. — The educator shortage is a significant challenge in special education. — FAPE Compass is an AI tool designed to provide instant answers to special education questions. — The tool enhances legal literacy for educators in real-time. — FAPE Compass is tailored to district-specific needs and procedures. — AI can help reduce the cognitive load on special education directors. — Feedback from districts indicates increased confidence and efficiency with FAPE Compass. — The tool aims to empower staff, reducing the need for directors to attend every meeting. — The future of special education may see more streamlined systems through tools like FAPE Compass.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Angie Balsley 01:06 Shaping Philosophy in Special Education 02:54 Challenges in Special Education Systems 04:35 Innovations in Special Education Leadership 06:21 Introducing FAPE Compass 10:00 The Future of FAPE Compass in Special Education 12:32 Feedback and Success Stories from Districts

#SpecialEducation, #LetsGoLearn, #AIinEducation, #EdTech, #FAPE

Accelerating Education Podcast 🎙️ Angela Miller, Special Education Teacher, Case Manager, and SSD Coordinator Carlsbad Municipal School District, New Mexico with host Richard Capone

Episode P2E1, Feb 19, 2026 Sponsored by Let's Go Learn https://www.letsgolearn.com

Stop letting paperwork lead to burnout! Discover how Angela Miller is using the Airma AI Assistant to revolutionize the IEP process and reclaim the "heart" of special education.

In this episode of Accelerating Education, host Richard Capone interviews Angela Miller, a special education teacher, case manager, and SSD coordinator in the Carlsbad Municipal School District in New Mexico. Angela shares her powerful personal journey from being a student with a reading disability to becoming a "Jill of all trades" educator motivated by her own son's autism diagnosis.

We explore the "solution-based" strategies Angela uses to drive student success, including the use of Airma AI, an innovative educational technology tool. She explains how AI in education allows her to create highly individualized education programs (IEP) and progress reports with fidelity, while maintaining data privacy and FERPA compliance.

Whether you are interested in social emotional learning (SEL), effective professional learning communities (PLC), or how to combat teacher burnout, this conversation offers a roadmap for meeting the needs of the "whole child".

Takeaways —Angela's personal experience with special education shaped her career. —Empathy is crucial in building rapport with students. —Teachers often face burnout due to lack of support and resources. —Collaboration among educators enhances student outcomes. —AI can be a powerful tool for personalized learning. —Professional development should focus on the whole child, not just academics. —Finding one's 'why' can help combat teacher burnout. —Data-driven decisions can improve educational practices. —Students should be involved in their own learning processes. —Education is a community effort, requiring collaboration and support.

Chapters

0:00 - Introduction to Angela Miller

0:49 - Angela’s personal journey: From student to teacher

1:42 - A mother’s motivation: Navigating an autism diagnosis

3:56 - Combating teacher burnout with empathy and SEL

7:19 - Collaboration: Building a bridge between SpEd and GenEd

10:48 - How Airma AI is transforming IEPs and data collection

12:04 - The Future of AI in Education

14:38 - Addressing AI privacy and FERPA compliance

17:15 - The future of AI: Giving students autonomy over their data

19:59 - Words of wisdom for hardworking educators 


Featured Resources

Let's Go Learn: Diagnostic data platform for DORA (reading) and ADAM (math) assessments.

Airma AI: The AI assistant helping teachers individualize instruction.

#SpecialEducation, #LetsGoLearn, #AIinEducation, #EdTech