In this episode, I welcomed special education professors Dr. Jen Newton and Dr. Mira Cole Williams to the podcast for an important conversation about combating ableism in our K-12 schools.  They also shared how ableism plays into the national conversation about critical race theory, the founding of the Teaching is Intellectual Platform, the actions that educators & school districts must take to integrate anti-ableist practices into their school communities, the future of special education during the COVID-19 pandemic, and much more!  This episode is dedicated to all the special education teachers and inclusion teachers who are in the trenches!   To learn more about their work, you can visit their website at teachingisintellectual.com or you can follow them on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter with the handle @teachingisintellectual.   

BIO: Jen Newton, PhD is an assistant professor in special education.  Dr. Newton’s research interests include strengths-based approaches to families, early childhood inclusion, inclusive teacher preparation, and socially just and equitable educational practices.  She presents locally, regionally, and nationally on a range of inclusive educational topics.  She served as an early interventionist and an inclusive prekindergarten teacher prior to pursuing doctoral studies.  Dr. Newton earned her doctorate in special education with a focus on teacher education from the University of Kansas and spent four years as an assistant professor at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., then three years at Saint Louis University before finding her home at Ohio University.  

Mira Cole Williams, PhD, is an associate professor in the Educational Foundations and Exceptionalities Department at James Madison University. Dr. Williams earned a doctoral degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education from the University of Virginia. She also received her Master’s of Teaching and B.S. in Psychology from the University of Virginia. Dr. Williams taught for six years in inclusive early childhood preschool and elementary classrooms in Virginia. In addition, she served as an educational specialist, consulting with teachers and families of children with disabilities, focusing on differentiating instruction and providing curricular access to all children.  She is a strong advocate of high-quality teacher preparation in the area of Early Childhood Inclusive and Special Education and is focused on social justice and equity for young children and their families. She presents locally and nationally on a range of topics related to improving teacher preparation, inclusive practices in early childhood education, and disrupting microaggressions in P-16 educational settings.