When conversations about war, global conflict, and safety begin to dominate the news, adults often process the information through a lens of experience and context. We understand history. We weigh probabilities. We filter what we hear. Students don’t always have that same ability. Instead, they hear words like war , attack , danger , and threat   and their minds begin filling in the gaps. Some imagine the worst. Others worry silently. Some act out. Some withdraw. Many simply carry the anxiety...

In school support services, one of the most common questions families and educators ask is whether a 504 Plan can turn into an IEP or whether an IEP can later become a 504 Plan . The short answer is yes. But the longer answer requires understanding something deeper: both supports exist to meet students where they are right now . As students grow, develop new skills, and encounter new challenges, the level of support they need may change. Educational plans are not meant to be permanent...

When we hear the words “I am somebody,” many of us immediately think of Jesse Jackson standing before crowds, leading a call-and-response that felt both spiritual and political. But that declaration was more than a chant. It was identity work. It was psychology. It was social-emotional learning before we ever called it that. As educators, especially those of us serving students in special education, we have to recognize something that doesn’t always make it into the curriculum guides: many...