Tuesday Mar 18, 2025

Ep33: Special Education and the Department of Ed.

PWSA | USA’s CEO Stacy Ward sat down with educator and IEP coach, Jamilah Bashir to discuss special education and the state of the Department of Education. They discussed training for special education teachers, the voucher program, where to find good information about changing policies and decisions within the Department of Education, and the path of an executive order. Jamilah clarified the different roles of the U.S. Dept. of Ed. versus the state’s Dept. of Ed., focusing on funding and the accountability of states to provide services. This discussion can provide clear insight on the role of the U.S. Department of Education, why it may be critical for our loved ones with PWS, what the alternative (ie voucher programs and private schools) may look like, and how and why to contact your representatives on this issue.

Jamilah Bashir has over 20 years’ experience serving as a special education teacher, special education supervisor, and education consultant across charter, public, and private schools. She has two master’s degrees—one in Education and another in Educational Leadership—from St. Joseph’s University. She is the founder of The IEP Coach LLC, a company dedicated to empowering special education teachers, schools, and parents. Jamilah is a speaker and thought leader and has presented at conferences such as the 2024 Autism in Black Conference and spoken on podcasts like The Impact of Educational Leadership with Isaiah Drone and The Opportunity Gap by Understood.org. She is also the author of Because of H.E.R., a memoir about her experience of growing up with a sibling with a disability. She created resources and programs like the Master the IEP Course and SPEDucators Rise. Jamilah connects with over 7,000 people weekly through her live series The Coaching Corner with the IEP Coach on social media.

We want to extend a huge thank you to Jamilah for sharing her knowledge of the special education system and we hope this helps families better understand the current landscape of the Department of Education.

LINKS

Website: www.theiepcoachllc.com

Master the IEP Course: www.mastertheiep.com

SPEDucators Rise Coaching Program: https://www.theiepcoachllc.com/speducators-rise-program

Ep33: Special Education and the Department of Ed.

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