Conversations by IEP Assure

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Podcast by IEP Assure

Conversations by IEP Assure

Conversations by IEP Assure Where Special Education, Innovation, and Real-World Teaching Come Together Conversations by IEP Assure brings together educators, parents, leaders, and innovators who are reshaping what’s possible for students with disabilities. Each episode dives into the realities of special education—what’s working, what’s not, and what’s coming next—through honest conversations rooted in data, storytelling, and lived experience. Hosted by Allie Wilson, Special Education teacher, diagnostician-in-training, and founder of IEP Assure, the show spotlights voices from classrooms, districts, edtech, and research. From breakthrough tools that save teachers hours, to strategies that help families feel seen and supported, to the future of compliant, student-centered IEPs—this podcast is your hub for learning, advocacy, and meaningful change. If you care about equitable outcomes, teacher sustainability, and using technology ethically to improve the special education experience, you’ll feel at home here. Join the conversation. Reimagine what Special Education can be.

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Latest episodes

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16 October 2026

The Missing Partner in Special Education: Family Culture with Nancy Shapiro Rapport

Your district has a culture. Your campuses have a culture. But what about the families you serve?

In this episode of Conversations by IEP Assure, Allie Wilson talks with Nancy Shapiro Rapport, a middle school counselor with a 34-year career and co-creator of Our Family Culture. Nancy shares how intentional family culture can strengthen the partnership between homes and schools, and why students should be active participants in their own IEP and 504 meetings.

In this episode:

- What "parenting by design" means and why it matters to schools

- Why students should know and understand their own accommodations

- Reframing accommodations as tools, not labels

- Assuming good intentions between parents, teachers, and administrators

- Shifting conferences from data updates to student strengths

- A district pilot bringing family culture resources to every family

Explore the Our Family Culture app: [App Store link] | [Google Play link]

Season 2 explores partnerships within education and family. New episodes every other Thursday.

Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping special education.

Learn more about IEP Assure: iepassure.com

Follow us: @iep.assure

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51:49

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01 October 2026

"We Don't Usually Do That" Isn't a No: Rethinking IEP Collaboration with Dr. Destiny Huff

When a parent brings an advocate to the IEP meeting, does your team feel supported or under attack?

In this episode of Conversations by IEP Assure, Allie Wilson sits down with Dr. Destiny Huff, LPC, a mental health therapist, special education advocate, and parent of two neurodivergent learners. Together they explore how IEP teams can move from shifting blame to solving problems together, even in the middle of a staffing crisis.

In this episode:

- Why "we don't usually do that" is not the same as "we can't"

- How to document student needs honestly when staffing is short

- The disconnect between district decisions and classroom realities

- Why advocates can be facilitators, not adversaries

- Using work samples and parent data to take emotion out of the meeting

- Building student self-advocacy for college and career

Season 2 explores partnerships within education and family. New episodes every other Thursday.

Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping special education.

Learn more about IEP Assure: iepassure.com

Follow us: @iep.assure

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49:37

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05 June 2026

The Cost of Inclusion: Rethinking Funding, Staffing, and Support

What if the biggest challenge facing special education isn't funding—it's the systems surrounding it? Allie Wilson and Christina Santoro discuss inclusion, staffing shortages, teacher burnout, compliance, and how school leaders can create sustainable change that supports both students and educators.

School leaders everywhere are facing the same challenges: growing special education needs, staffing shortages, compliance pressures, and shrinking budgets. The common response is simple—schools need more funding.

In this episode, Allie Wilson, founder of IEP Assure, sits down with education consultant Christina Santoro to explore a bigger question: Are outdated systems preventing schools from effectively supporting students, teachers, and families?

Together, they discuss:

Why special education teacher shortages continue to grow
The hidden cost of underfunding inclusion
How districts can rethink resource allocation
The connection between compliance issues and system failures
Why teacher burnout is a leadership and systems challenge—not just a staffing challenge
How school leaders can begin building sustainable, long-term solutions

This conversation challenges the idea that more money alone will solve education's biggest problems and offers a fresh perspective on what meaningful change could look like.

Guest: Christina Santoro

Host: Allie Wilson, Founder of IEP Assure

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49:17

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05 June 2026

Why We Lose Students in Middle School And How to Change It

By middle school, many students have already started to disengage from their education—not because they can’t learn, but because they don’t understand themselves as learners.

In this episode of Conversations by IEP Assure, Allie Wilson is joined by Marjorie Archer to unpack what’s really happening during those critical middle school years. From students hiding their struggles to avoiding accommodations, they explore how a lack of self-advocacy leads to disengagement, behavior challenges, and missed opportunities.

You’ll walk away with practical strategies you can implement immediately, including how to:

Teach students to understand and name their disability
Normalize accommodations in the classroom
Build self-advocacy skills early
Use data to motivate and empower students
Shift from compliance to connection

If you’re a teacher, parent, or leader, this conversation will challenge how you think about support—and show you how to help students reconnect with their learning before it’s too late.

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46:28

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23 March 2026

If It’s Not Documented, It Didn’t Happen: The Legal Reality of IEP Compliance

In this episode of Conversations by IEP Assure, Allie Wilson sits down with Peter Kauffman to unpack the legal foundations of special education compliance.

With experience spanning teaching, school governance, and education law, Peter provides a rare, full-system perspective on how compliance actually functions—and where it breaks down.

This conversation focuses on helping educators, administrators, and families better understand the legal realities behind IEP implementation, documentation, and student rights.

What You’ll Learn

What legally qualifies as a denial of FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)
The difference between procedural vs. substantive compliance issues
Why documentation (service logs, communication, progress monitoring) is critical in legal disputes
Common compliance gaps that occur across schools and districts
The role of educators vs. families in protecting student rights
How legal protections shift from IDEA (K–12) to ADA (college and beyond)
What proactive compliance systems should look like in schools

Key Takeaway

Strong compliance is not just about doing the work—it’s about being able to clearly show that the work was done.

Who This Episode Is For

Special Education Directors
School and District Administrators
General and Special Education Teachers
Parents and Advocates
Anyone navigating IEP implementation or compliance

Why This Matters

Compliance gaps are rarely caused by lack of effort—they’re caused by unclear systems, inconsistent documentation, and misaligned expectations.

Understanding the legal framework behind special education helps schools move from reactive problem-solving to proactive, student-centered support.

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50:00

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23 March 2026

Behind the Build: Introducing IEP Assure’s CTO, Eric Roma

In this episode, Allie sits down with Eric Roma, the Chief Technology Officer of IEP Assure, to officially introduce him to the community and share the story behind how the platform is being built.

Eric has been part of IEP Assure from the very beginning and formally transitioned into the CTO role in November. Together, Allie and Eric discuss what it takes to build special education software responsibly—from data integrity and compliance guardrails to why accuracy, trust, and educator workflows matter more than flashy AI features.

This conversation takes listeners behind the scenes of:

What a CTO actually does in an early-stage edtech company
How IEP Assure approaches AI with intention and safeguards
Why technical decisions directly impact teachers, students, and districts
How firsthand classroom experience shapes product architecture

Whether you are an educator curious about how edtech tools are built, a district leader thinking about compliance risk, or a founder navigating technical leadership, this episode offers a transparent look at how mission-driven education technology comes together.

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43:38