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When special education isn’t fully funded, the cost doesn’t disappear...it gets absorbed by families, classrooms, and educators.

In this solo episode of The Purple Zone, I unpack what underfunded special education actually looks like on the ground: for students whose needs go unmet, for teachers navigating behavior and safety challenges without enough support, and for families trying to advocate for their children in complex systems they didn’t design.

Through two personal stories and Idaho-specific context, this episode explores:

• how funding gaps create real tradeoffs for all students, not just those in special education,
• why some families experience far more strain than others when support falls short,
• how unmet mental health and behavioral needs show up in classrooms, and
• what changes when schools have the staffing, resources, and partnerships they need.

This isn’t a conversation about blame; it’s about design. Special education is a legal mandate, but it’s also a shared responsibility. When it’s underfunded, districts are forced into impossible choices, families carry heavier burdens, and educators are stretched thin.

And yet, partnership still matters. When schools and families work together, especially in times of constraint, the experience for students can change.

If you want to understand why special education funding affects the entire school community, and why addressing it is urgent...not someday, but now...this episode is for you.

Because policy isn’t abstract. It’s personal.

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