This episode is a conversation with Dr. Hollie Mason and some of her current and former students (Maddie Thurman, Ashlyn Slayton, and Cadee Goldstein) in their experiences as advocates at the Special Education Legislative Summit (or SELS). They share insights on the summit and what it entails , their opportunities meeting with Congress members, some of the challenges facing special education, and how they've taken these experiences and applied them to their coursework and careers.

Information on the Special Education Legislative Summit 2026

Special Education Legislation: Policy to Action Workshop Flyer

Welcome to Voices From the Field! This podcast series will look to interview a wide range of early childhood professionals across STAR NET Regions I & III, which covers Northern and Central Illinois counties. We will look to include teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, specialists, and many more as we highlight different people and their experiences in the early childhood field.

Today’s guest is Carrie Finch, a pre-k teacher in LaHarpe - a small town in Hancock, IL. Carrie walks us through her career in early childhood special education. She leans into ways she taught at the beginning of her career and describes how tragedy led her to change her personal and professional mindsets. Carrie shares her love of teaching and connecting with all students, how leaning into professional development and continuing education has given her the tools to impact her classroom, and how she has been mentoring countless educators along the way. She may humbly say her district is rural but it’s clear as day that her impact is felt far and wide!

Welcome to Voices From the Field! This podcast series will look to interview a wide range of early childhood professionals across STAR NET Regions I & III, which covers Northern and Central Illinois counties. We will look to include teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, specialists, and many more as we highlight different people and their experiences in the early childhood field.

Today’s guest is Ronda McKee, an early childhood educator who has been in the field for more than 40 years. Ronda is based primarily out of the McDonough County area of West Central Illinois, where she has been an ECSE teacher, director, Ag in the Classroom teacher, and substitute teacher. In this podcast Ronda shares many of her experiences, insights, and memories of her time in the early childhood field.

In this episode, Bridget Meis and Katie Suchy talk with Grace Matzke, a Speech-Language Pathologist dedicated to bringing therapy directly into the heart of the classroom. Grace is here to discuss how to meet children’s needs in real-time through embedded therapy. We’ll explore her strategies for seamless collaboration with classroom teams—from aligning on student goals to weaving weekly curriculum vocabulary into every session.

In this podcast Roseann Slaght shares some insights into how self-care, for children and adults, can be an important factor in our mental and physical health. Some of the topics she covers are breathing, nutrition, movement, relaxation, and more. Roseann also shares some tips and tricks for children and adults to help achieve some of those goals.

Below are links to some of the things discussed in the podcast.

- Breathing Techniques (including Box Breathing and 4-7-8 Breathing)

- 4-7-8 Breathing Video Example (Dr. Andrew Weil)

- A Guide to Mudras

Featuring: Natalie Doyle, Katie Madigan, & Shonda Ronen

This is the third and final episode in a three-part series on inclusion and leadership. This series covered topics such as: getting started in inclusion, maintaining staff-inclusive beliefs, and how to keep the inclusive culture thriving in schools when changes occur. This third episode will focus on how to keep the inclusive culture thriving in schools when changes occur, with insights from professionals in positions of leadership in the early childhood field.

Resources: STAR NET and Early CHOICES

Featuring: Natalie Doyle, Katie Madigan, & Shonda Ronen

This is the second episode in a three-part series on inclusion and leadership. This series will cover topics such as: getting started in inclusion, maintaining staff-inclusive beliefs, and how to keep the inclusive culture thriving in schools when changes occur. This second episode will focus on maintaining staff-inclusive beliefs, with insights from professionals in positions of leadership in the early childhood field.

Resources: STAR NET

Featuring: Natalie Doyle, Katie Madigan, & Shonda Ronen

This is the first episode in a three-part series on inclusion and leadership. This series will cover topics such as: getting started in inclusion, maintaining staff-inclusive beliefs, and how to keep the inclusive culture thriving in schools when changes occur. This first episode will focus on getting started in inclusion, with insights from professionals in positions of leadership in the early childhood field.

Resources: STAR NET, Early CHOICES, CARA’s Kit