The Future of Special Ed: AI & Empowerment, with Chad Rummel

Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-zc6np-... The Future of Special Ed: AI & Empowerment, with Chad RummelAccelerating Education Podcast 🎙️Chad Rummel, M.Ed, CAEExecutive Director of Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)with host Richard Capone Episode P2E3, Apr 13, 2026Sponsored 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 & CEC1:18 - Moving from Compliance to Empowerment1:58 - Launching the Teacher Empowerment Toolkit4:41 - The Role of AI in Special Education6:00 - AI in Special Education: Opportunities and Concerns7:54 - How Administrators Can Support Staff8:37 - Addressing Educator Shortages and Future Trajectories9:10 - Solving the Educator Shortage in the Next 5 Years11:51 - CEC's Evolving Leadership and Support for Teachers12:32 - A Message to Overwhelmed Teachers13:15 - How Do You Support Teachers Today?14:43 - Rapid Fire: The Future is Positive17:15 - The Importance of Supporting Teachers, Not Replacing Them17:43 - What Gives Chad the Most Hope Today? #SpecialEducation #SPED #TeacherBurnout #IEP #EdTech #AIinEducation #CEC #TeacherEmpowerment #SpecialEdTeacher #LetsGoLearn