Episode 26: The Characteristics of a Good Leader
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 26: The Characteristics of a Good Leader

On today’s episode, I welcome my guest, MaryAnn Joseph. MaryAnn is a National Board, Certified teacher, who has spent more than 40 years in the classroom throughout the nation, in both special education and general education settings. She is a teacher-leader as a current college professor and a former special education consultant with the New Jersey Department of Education.

During our conversation, we discuss some important characteristics of what makes someone a leader, and the three essential leadership components of inclusive education.

Read More
Episode 25: Implementation Science and The Strategic Plan
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 25: Implementation Science and The Strategic Plan

On this episode I welcome back to the podcast, my guest, Michael McSheehan. Today we continue our conversation and get into why implementation science can assist with influencing change in the school setting, and the importance of implementing a strategic plan that involves all the correct stakeholders.

Read More
Episode 24: The Evolvement of Inclusive Education
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 24: The Evolvement of Inclusive Education

On this episode, I welcome my guest Michael McSheehan. Michael is the owner and lead consultant of Evolve & Effect, a company that assists education agencies on how they can evolve their practices to increase positive effects for learners. In this, part 1 of our conversation, we discuss what changes he has seen in the world of inclusive education in his more than 30 years of working in the field, and how a specific court case in his hometown had a lasting impact on his career path.

Read More
Episode 22: The Importance of Using Inclusive Language
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 22: The Importance of Using Inclusive Language

On today’s episode, I welcome my guest, Dr. Jessica McQueston. Dr. McQueston is an assistant professor at Sam Houston State University. On this episode, which is part one of our conversation Jessica and I discuss the important role that higher education professionals have in educating future educators about inclusive education, and why it is important to use the appropriate language when discussing disabilities.

Read More
Episode 21: Creating an Inclusive School Culture
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 21: Creating an Inclusive School Culture

On today’s episode we welcome our guest Nicole Eredics. Nicole is an educator and an author who advocates for inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. During our conversation today, we discuss why it is important that the school culture reflect an inclusive culture.

Read More
Episode 20: Creating Inclusive & Equitable Learning Environments
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 20: Creating Inclusive & Equitable Learning Environments

On today's episode, we welcome our guest, Doctor Jennifer Spencer-Iiams. During our conversation, we discuss Leading for All: How to Create Truly Inclusive and Excellent Schools, a book she co-wrote with Josh Flosi, and why it is important for everyone at all levels in the school district, including the students, to be part of the inclusive education initiatives.

Read More
Episode 19: Staying the Course
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 19: Staying the Course

On today's episode, we welcome our guest, Bonni Rubin-Sugarman. Bonni is a retired educator, a former director of special education, and is currently an inclusive education consultant with NJCIE. During our conversation today, we will discuss the evolvement of inclusive education and what motivates Bonni to continue her passion of bringing more inclusive schools to the state of New Jersey.

Read More
Episode 18: The Importance of High Quality Preschool Settings
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 18: The Importance of High Quality Preschool Settings

On today's episode, we welcome our guests Corinne Catalano, Eva Kovacs and Roseanne Yezzo. Corinne is assistant director for consultation services at the Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health at Montclair State University. Eva and Rosanne are lead infant and early childhood consultation specialists at the Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health at Montclair State University.

Corinne, Eva, Rosanne and I discussed the perspective of the early childhood educator as it relates to inclusive education.

Read More
Episode 17: Increasing Access to College for Students with Disabilities
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 17: Increasing Access to College for Students with Disabilities

On today's episode, we welcome our guest, Dr. Jessica Bacon. Dr. Bacon is associate professor at Montclair State University in the Department of Teaching and Learning, where she teaches classes on inclusive education and disability studies. During our conversation today, we will discuss the Increasing Access to College project that she co-founded at Montclair as it relates to inclusive education and why it is important to begin teaching inclusion and anti-ableism curricula in early childhood classrooms.

Read More
Episode 16: A Strategic and Collaborative Approach to Inclusive Education
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 16: A Strategic and Collaborative Approach to Inclusive Education

On today's episode, we welcome our guest, Michele Gardner. Michele is the director of special education in the Berkeley Heights School District in New Jersey. During our conversation today, we will discuss the importance of strategic planning and collaboration as they relate to inclusive education.

Read More
Episode 15: Being a Parent Advocate
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 15: Being a Parent Advocate

On this episode, I welcome my guest Winifred Winston. During our conversation, Winifred shares her story of how she became an advocate for her daughter who is diagnosed with Dyslexia and ADHD, and how it led her to create Dyslexia Advocation a non-profit whose mission is to “equip parents of children with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities with the necessary tools to help their child(ren) become successful readers.”

Read More
Episode 11: Authentic Inclusive Education: Our Story
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 11: Authentic Inclusive Education: Our Story

On this episode, I welcome back to the podcast, Vera Piasecki. On the last episode, Vera shared how her daughter Hannah benefited socially and academically from being in an inclusive education setting. On this, part two of our conversation, Vera and I are joined by Fred, CEO of New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education. Fred and Vera share a behind-the-scenes look at the steps it took to achieve this inclusive setting in the school district where Hannah attends.

Read More
Episode 9: Inclusive Education and Ableism-Part 2
Arthur Aston Arthur Aston

Episode 9: Inclusive Education and Ableism-Part 2

This episode is part 2 of my conversation with Priya Lalvani. Priya is a professor of disability studies and the coordinator of the inclusive education graduate programs at Montclair State University. We discuss ableism and the role that it plays in inclusive education. We also discuss a book she edited called Constructing the (M)other: Narratives of Disability, Motherhood, and the Politics of Normal.

Read More