Waterline | 5

Ashley Jochim is an education researcher with a PhD, four kids, and two decades of experience studying what makes schools work. None of that prepared her for the day her daughter Evelyn was diagnosed with ADHD and a learning disability — or for how little Ashley actually knew about special education. That experience sent Ashley down a research rabbit hole: a first-of-its-kind, 50-state database tracking special education identification and outcomes over the past 50 years. What she found raises hard questions about who qualifies for services and who’s left out. And whether the growing number of kids identified for special education is actually making things better or just spreading already-thin resources even thinner. In this episode, Anya Kamenetz digs into Ashley’s research and her proposal for reimagining the system — one that looks less like gatekeeping and more like good teaching for everyone. But when Anya brings in another perspective, from a longtime disability rights attorney, something else comes into focus for Ashley: that for a lot of families, the fight isn’t over which services their kid gets. It’s over whether their kid gets to go to school at all. For more on this topic Read: School choice and special education: What to know about public, private, and charter schools Explore: IEP Guide for Parents Read: The Brief: Understood News For a transcript and more resources, visit Zero Reject on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]. We’re taking Zero Reject live! Join host Anya Kamenetz on Thursday, October 29, at 6 p.m. ET for an honest conversation with parents, teachers, and policymakers about where special education goes from here. Be part of the conversation in person in New York City or watch live on YouTube. Save your spot here: understood.org/zero-reject-live Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at u.org/give Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.