{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Beyond the Box","title":"Alignment, Belonging, and Beyond-the-Box Special Education Leadership with Rusty Gordon","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2034,"description":"\nOn Beyond the Box, host Dr. Ronald G. Taylor sits down with Rusty Gordon, Director of Pupil Services at Marysville Joint Unified School District in California. Rusty oversees special education programs and student support services across the district, working closely with school leaders and curriculum teams to ensure students with exceptional needs receive equitable access to high-quality instruction.\n\nIn this conversation, Rusty shares how districts can move from fragmented “one-off” curriculum requests toward aligned systems that connect special education to core instruction. He reflects on the importance of common language, collaboration across school sites, and professional learning structures that empower teachers while maintaining instructional coherence. Rusty also discusses the leadership mindset needed to build sustainable programs that outlast individual administrators and create lasting cultural change.\n\nKey Moments\n\n\n03:15 Identifying one-off curriculum requests across special education\n\n04:21 Aligning special education with district curriculum systems\n\n05:39 Using data and training to strengthen implementation\n\n06:58 Building common language across schools\n\n09:13 Navigating unfunded mandates and shifting initiatives\n\n10:03 Creating collaboration between special and general education\n\n11:04 Designing PD systems teachers actually attend\n\n12:56 Supporting compliance through shared expertise\n\n13:47 Using real case judgments as learning tools\n\n16:11 Serving students in their school of residence\n\n17:51 Building site-based special education teams\n\n20:24 Leadership impact beyond personal recognition\n\n27:58 “To Own a Dragon” and understanding student context\n\nWhy You’ll Love This Episode\n\n\nThis episode explores the practical leadership required to connect special education with broader instructional systems. Rusty shares how districts can reduce fragmentation, build common language across schools, and empower educators to collaborate around student needs.\n...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/6F5INjP28d1joK7ccr19ewduLyMSv8aIwuVtglKc25Q/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81OTc2/N2ZkOThhNmY2NmFk/ZDhkMjMxZGUwMTEy/NzU4OC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}