Tiffani Jaseph—Championing high-quality special education as the 2026 Arizona Teacher of the Year

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You know, what I have learned is
that what that really means is

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seeing the child for who they
are and what they can do.

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So I already have the students
that who come to me on my

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caseload and are my students,
they already come to me with

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disadvantages and they already
come with some come with, you

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know, maybe medical needs and
some come with trauma.

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So we're talking all over the
spectrum.

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They've already have a, they
already have a disadvantage.

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They might not only look
different, but they learn

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different.
And so when you build a

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curriculum based on love, that
means you see the child 1st and

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you give them a place to feel
safe and to feel like they can

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be themselves.
Because some of my student

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students have pretty significant
behavioral needs.

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Well, that's not easy to deal
with, right?

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But we provide a space for them
to where we get through it and

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we still show up for them the
next day.

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I have students with medical
needs who need to navigate their

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their life very differently than
anybody than some other people.

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And so we need to provide a
place where they can have their

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feeding tube changed or their
diaper changed, right?

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So we have that going on.
And then we have, you know,

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students who who might be
autistic and have limited verbal

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communication.
This is Doctor Rosa Rivera.

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McCutcheon, author of Radical
Care Leading for Justice in

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Urban.
Schools and you're listening.

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To add up accelerated
excellence.

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Welcome to the Ed Up Accelerated
Excellence podcast, and we would

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like to share an opportunity for
educators to contribute to our

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XE Listening tour this week.
Take time to listen to a

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community member regarding their
educational excellence and

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equity experience because we
believe that by listening, we

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unlock the engine for powerful
educational transformation.

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Share your insights via
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That's the XE Listening Tour at
edupxe.com.

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School Leaders this summer your
leadership journey continues in

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Orlando.
Join the National Association of

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Elementary School Principals for
the National School Leaders

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Conference July 13th through
15th at Disney's Coronado

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Springs Resort.
Connect with principals,

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assistant principals, and
education leaders from across

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the country for powerful
conversations, practical

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strategies, and inspiration you
can take straight back to your

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school community for
instructional leadership and

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school culture to Wellness and
success.

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This conference is designed for
leaders at every stage.

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Learn more and register today at
NAESP conference.org.

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That's NAESP conference.org.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to Add

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Up Accelerated Excellence, the
podcast for the advancement of

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educational excellence and
equity.

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And I'm your host, Jacob Easley,
the second PHDPMP and today's

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guest from the great state of
Arizona, Tiffany Jacef, who is

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2026 Arizona State Teacher of
the Year.

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She is an elementary school
teacher in special education and

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Copper View Elementary School.
Tiffany, welcome, welcome,

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welcome to the podcast where you
introduce yourself to the end up

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accelerated excellence community
by giving voice to your name and

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what's top of mind for you right
now?

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I know you've probably finished
a really productive day at work.

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So what's top of your mind and
your and your name please?

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Sure, yes my name is Tiffany Jay
Stuff.

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Yes, as you said I am the 2026
Arizona State Teacher of the

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Year.
I teach elementary education, so

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my school is a kinder through
5th grade, so K5 school.

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And I had the privilege of
teaching special education,

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working specifically with the
highest support needs

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population.
And so I get the privilege of

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working with a variety of
students and they all, they all

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come with more of the complex
needs.

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And so like for instance, I'm
ending a week with my students

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this week on a Friday.
So there's been a lot going on

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in my classroom, lots of
learning, lots of hands on

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activities going on.
I have students who have medical

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needs, so I do have a student or
two in a wheelchair or a Walker.

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So in my classroom, if you were
to come in, you'd see a lot

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going on.
So I, we're kind of just like

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winding down the school year.
So right now we're, I'm just

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kind of at a point right now
we're, I'm making sure all of my

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students are set up for success
for the summer and communicating

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with parents.
So just making sure everything's

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good to go and that, you know,
we've had, we've had a lot of

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learning this year.
So yeah.

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So that's wonderful.
You're making me think as you

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talked about winding down the
end of the school year, many

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students have Ieps and you
talked about setting them up for

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summer.
So for your students, what does

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that look like in terms of the
continuation of of services in

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the summer, Maybe not for all,
but for some of your students?

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Sure.
That's a great question because

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as I am doing a lot of Ieps
right now, they're they're Ieps

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are done throughout the year,
but it just kind of happens

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where a lot are happening at the
end of the year.

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So I had this one today, for
instance.

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And so far, none of my students
need to do summer school.

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So really what's happening is
we're having conversations like,

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OK, your students not going to
be in school.

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And some of these kids really
thrive on routine.

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So how do you handle your kids
during the summer?

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So we have open conversations
about that.

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And we talked about some things,
like sometimes parents write out

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a schedule for their students.
I have an autistic student who

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really thrives on the same
routine every week.

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So she kind of works with him to
write out a plan.

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On Mondays we're going to go to
the park.

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Tuesdays we're going to go to
the pool.

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Wednesdays we're going to go to
the children's museum.

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So she has to kind of keep that
consistency.

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And I also offered to send home
some work so that some of the

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students can kind of keep that
paper and pencil or like

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academic part of the routine so
that they don't fully disconnect

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from that.
So for each student, it's

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different, but we really just
kind of try to have an open

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conversation about if I can do
anything to help or ideas that

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parents can use to kind of keep
them active and not just like on

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the screen all day long.
So I mean in in part, this is

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probably why you are the teacher
of the year because many

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students, as you know, we've
seen it in cartoons and movies

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work or reading over the summer.
Right.

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Yeah.
So, and here you are advocating

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talking to parents, even though
it may not be formal

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instruction, but ways in order
to ensure that students continue

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to thrive in terms of life goals
but also academic achievement.

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So let's talk about your award
as the 2026 Arizona State

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Teacher of the Year.
So when you were named the

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Teacher of the Year, what was
going on in your mind in that

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moment?
Honestly, that's one of the I

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love.
I've gotten that question before

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and I love that question because
I describe it as like the most

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surreal moment.
It honestly, I was so honored to

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be named teacher of the year for
my school and then I went on to

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be a a finalist for the
district.

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So they pick, they pick 4 for
the district and then those four

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get recommended to the state.
So as I was going through this

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process the whole time, I'm
like, this is just so cool to be

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thought of in this way.
And so when I made it to top 10

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for the state, at that point,
I'm like, this is just crazy.

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And then I made it to top five
and then we had the ceremony

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and, and then I ended up
winning.

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And I just remember like, it's
like time kind of stood still

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and I, I just, I, I had to take
a deep breath.

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And then I was just like
overcome with joy and honestly

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mostly gratitude because they
are seeing me and, and I will

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take pride in that, but I feel
like they're seeing my students

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and what I stand for and that
that's the coolest part.

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Yeah, excellent.
I was going to ask you that.

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So what did it mean?
What does this recognition mean,

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particularly given the student
population that you work with?

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For me, it means that I really
need to use my year of service

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to advocate for educational
inclusion.

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I feel like I'm get given an
opportunity to talk about how

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special education and general
education can work together to

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make amazing things happen.
Because I don't think it's I

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don't think it is something that
people haven't heard of before

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that special education kind of
gets, you know, they get the

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trailer in the back of the
school kind of a thing.

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Like I have literally taught in
a trailer in the back of a

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school before and in a special
education classroom, you know,

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and that is something that
people know about.

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And so over the years we worked
really hard to change that and

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to really make students who have
special needs part of the

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community.
You know, in the school, we have

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our own classroom.
We are we are entering all

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classrooms.
We are part of field trips, we

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are part of performances.
We are attending as much as the

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classroom as we can handle.
And so I feel like I'm given

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that opportunity to talk about
how it can work really well

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because in my school, we run
that inclusion model.

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And so my students, even the
ones who have the highest

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support, complex medical needs,
they are included in the general

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education classroom as much as
possible, of course.

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So, yeah, that that that it
really means the most to me to

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be able to talk about that
because I just have my heart is

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in this and, and in it with my
families and my students.

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And I guess talk about it.
It's it's pretty cool.

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Well, I, I can definitely hear
your passion.

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It rings through in how you talk
about your work.

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So let's describe, if you can,
inclusion for folks who may not

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know what that term means.
So we all know in education we

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have lots of very discipline
specific lingos and it may

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change from state to state and
district, but we often mean some

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of the same things.
So in in inclusion, what is the

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model that is using your
district or your school and what

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does it look like during the day
for you?

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So that's a great question.
So really the idea behind

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inclusion in general is to get
special education to get them to

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to connect with general
education.

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So the idea behind my program
and of course it's

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individualized because I have
students with a variety of

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needs.
So I have some students who come

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to me for maybe a couple times
throughout their day for some

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academic or behavior support,
and then they spend the majority

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of their day in class.
I also have students who need to

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spend the majority of their day
with me because maybe they have

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medical needs or they have
behavioral needs and they can't

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be in the general education
classroom for very long.

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So it's my job to figure out how
long they can be, and then I

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have aids who can help me
navigate that.

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So really what the goal is, is
for my students to be able to

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take part of a general education
classroom as much as possible

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and not just be a visitor, but
an integral part, an actual

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student who can go take part in
activities, work with students,

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do as much work as they can,
take part in anything

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extracurricular.
So basically depending on the

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student, it can very how it
look.

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But we want our students
included in classrooms and and

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be one of them, not just a
visitor who stops by once in a

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while.
So that really is that's really

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the idea is to be included as
much as as much as possible and

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to feel like they're part of the
community.

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Right, right, right.
So this is a model where

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students may move throughout the
day depending upon what their

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learning strengths are, where
they're matched and tied to

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learning resources and learning
goals, whether that setting is

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in your classroom.
You know, I've often heard

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special Ed classrooms called
resource rooms and and other

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programs are called general Ed
classrooms.

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So that's often the particularly
in elementary schools, that's

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often some of the terminology
used.

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So you began your career, though
you didn't start out as a

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teacher in in the special
education arena.

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So what happened?
So first, how did you what,

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what, what prompted you to
become a teacher and then what?

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What happened that shipped your
direction from general education

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to special education?
It's kind of it's kind of a cool

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story.
So I decided I would say in high

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00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,880
school and I was getting ready
to apply for colleges.

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I really told my, I remember,
tell my mom, I think I'm

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interested in being a teacher.
And she was like, Oh my gosh,

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honey, that would be so good for
you to be so good at that.

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I'm the oldest of four.
And so I'm just like a mom by,

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by habit, by nature.
And, you know, I believe anybody

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who's a teacher, they just had
that heart to be a parent to

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like, even if you don't have
your own kids.

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So she was like, I think you
should do it.

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So that was all I needed.
So I, I, I went ahead and

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00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:56,800
declared elementary education as
my major.

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00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,200
But I remember always just
having an interest in special

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00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:02,440
education.
I remember I was talking to

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00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:04,160
somebody.
I don't remember who it was.

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00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,400
Maybe it was you when we did an
intake.

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00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,960
I'm not sure.
But I remember in high school

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00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:14,280
visiting a facility where they
serviced people with special

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00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:15,800
needs.
And I remember just kind of

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really being drawn to it and
just not loving the services

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00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,320
that I saw there.
And I remember just like taking

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00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,280
that with me, like, gosh, this
should look better.

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00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,480
So special education is just
something that I've always been

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00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,120
interested in.
And I remember when I was

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00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,080
talking to my advisor in
college, I told her that I

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00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,560
didn't know which route to go.
And she's like, well, what if

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00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:37,320
you declared your under, you
know, your undergrad, your

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00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,080
bachelors for elementary
education, and then maybe you

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00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,840
could do your masters and
special education if you're

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00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:45,000
interested in that.
And I really like that idea.

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00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:47,960
So I was like, OK, let's, let's
start with general Ed and see

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00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,880
how I feel.
So I started, graduated, I got a

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00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:53,840
teaching job who was teaching
2nd grade, Absolutely loved it.

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00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,840
And then after a little bit of
time, I decided it was time to

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00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,440
get my master's.
And so after a couple years, I

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00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:03,200
started it was teaching, doing
my master's at the same time and

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00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:08,080
then finish that.
And then I, it was kind of a

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00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,560
good thing I got my master's
paid for because there was

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00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:13,600
special education funding at the
time.

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00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,880
But one of the rules was if you
accept this money, you need to

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teach special education for, I
think it was at least five

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00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,320
years.
And so after I graduated, and I

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00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:25,360
thought, you know, I should just
try it.

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00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:27,560
I should just try it.
I should get my five years done,

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00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,520
see if I like it.
So there was an opening at my

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00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:32,240
school.
I asked my principal if I could

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00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:33,440
take it.
He's like, sure.

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00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,240
So I just kind of went in and
then honestly, like it wasn't

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00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,240
perfect journey, but I pretty
much never looked back after

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00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,880
that.
I I think I've always naturally

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00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,880
wanted to help.
And so the thought of helping

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00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,000
students in special education
was I was drawn to it because I

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00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,520
think I knew deep down that that
was an area of need.

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00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:55,800
Like if you want to make a
difference, let's talk about

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00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,240
making a difference kind of a
thing.

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00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,960
So yeah, I just, I fell in love
with it.

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00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:00,920
I fell in love with the
students.

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00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:02,400
I fell in love with the small
group.

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00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:04,280
I fell in love with the
connection.

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00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:07,440
I fell in love with the families
because you are not only taking

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00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:10,000
on students with special needs,
you're helping their family.

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00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:14,200
You are giving them a place to
send their child that's safe.

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00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,080
So I really, I really just fell
in love with it.

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00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,280
And yeah, so that's kind of my
story.

290
00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:24,040
You know, as you were talking,
I, I had to say I, I, it sparked

291
00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,240
something in me.
It took me back to my days of

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00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:28,960
teaching in the elementary
school.

293
00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:33,200
And yes, I did have one of those
years where my office was in the

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00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:38,360
trailer and because I taught
foreign languages and, and my

295
00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:41,280
trailer was a split trailer,
half and half.

296
00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,920
So on the opposite side, when
you open the door, it was a

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00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:49,000
special education teacher.
And she and I had because we,

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00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,680
you know, we have such close
proximity during planning time,

299
00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,320
I realized even I'm teaching a
foreign language, I was learning

300
00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:59,000
so much from her.
So I found that it was much

301
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:05,720
easier to take skills and
approaches to teaching our

302
00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:10,839
methods from special education
and use those in general

303
00:17:10,839 --> 00:17:13,440
education.
More so the reverse.

304
00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,560
Yes, yes.
So I, I have to say for those

305
00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:21,520
who special education, special
education teachers who do it

306
00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:26,720
really well, it's like wearing 2
capes instead of one in some

307
00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:28,480
ways.
So I appreciate that.

308
00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,320
Speaking of curriculum and
teaching, I've heard you

309
00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:36,280
describe your classroom.
You describe that in your

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00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:41,000
classroom, the number one
curriculum is love.

311
00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:47,120
So I know you've talked about
preparing your students to leave

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00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,800
close out the year, working with
parents to find ways so that

313
00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:54,480
they can continue to thrive over
the summers.

314
00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:58,160
But what does that look like?
A curriculum of love in your

315
00:17:58,160 --> 00:17:59,800
classrooms?
And how do you go about

316
00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:05,520
designing love and and
facilitating learning

317
00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:10,480
experiences through love?
You know, what I have learned is

318
00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,920
that what that really means is
seeing the child for who they

319
00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:17,760
are and what they can do.
So I already have the students

320
00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,400
who come to me on my caseload
and are my students.

321
00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:23,280
They already come to me with
disadvantages and they already

322
00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,400
come with, some come with, you
know, maybe medical needs and

323
00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,120
some come with trauma.
So we're talking all over the

324
00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:32,040
spectrum.
They've already have a, they

325
00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,240
already have a disadvantage.
They might not only look

326
00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:35,560
different, but they learn
different.

327
00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:39,040
And so when you build a
curriculum based on love, that

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00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:42,000
means you see the child 1st and
you give them a place to feel

329
00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,880
safe and to feel like they can
be themselves.

330
00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,760
Because some of my student
students have pretty significant

331
00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,840
behavioral needs.
Well, that's not easy to deal

332
00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,680
with, right?
But we provide a space for them

333
00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,880
to where we get through it and
we still show up for them the

334
00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:00,520
next day.
I have students of medical needs

335
00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:04,080
who need to navigate their their
life very differently than

336
00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,400
anybody than some other people.
And so we need to provide a

337
00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,240
place where they can have their
feeding tube changed or their

338
00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,760
diaper changed, right?
So we have that going on.

339
00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:16,400
And then we have, you know,
students who who might be

340
00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:20,400
autistic and have limited verbal
communication.

341
00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,680
We say non speaking.
And so we provide ways to get

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00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:28,080
them to communicate with us.
So all of that is not coming

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00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,960
from a textbook.
That's coming from us providing,

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00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:32,560
being love and care for these
students.

345
00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,480
And I say us because it's my 7
aides and I were a team.

346
00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:40,800
And so we we have to naturally
look at what they need 1st and

347
00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,120
everything else is secondary.
Academics is secondary, but what

348
00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:46,480
do they need first physically
and emotionally?

349
00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:48,680
And then everything else kind of
comes into place.

350
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,680
And so that's really what I mean
when I say the first curriculum

351
00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:54,440
is love because we're not using
a textbook to show up for these

352
00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:56,520
kids every day.
We're just showing up and being

353
00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,480
a place for them to land.
Yeah.

354
00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,080
What comes to mind, You know,
you said that and yeah, as you

355
00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:07,840
were describing it was dignity,
particularly students who have

356
00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:13,880
very specific needs.
And sometimes those needs create

357
00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:15,960
an environment where you stand
out even more.

358
00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,560
And sometimes folks feel
embarrassed by by that.

359
00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:24,720
And so imagine being able to.
Embrace your difference in a

360
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,480
place, and I think you can.
I think you can only do that in

361
00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,960
a place where you're valued.
Yes, absolutely.

362
00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:36,400
So working with the the students
in your classroom?

363
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,040
No, actually I'm, I'm going to
change gears because you

364
00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,800
mentioned something you
mentioned you have, did you say

365
00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,800
7 aids?
Yes, as in 6 + 1.

366
00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,600
Yes.
So as as you, I've never worked

367
00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:54,120
in that environment before, yes,
having aid but not 6.

368
00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,080
So that means for you and you
said you plan together.

369
00:20:59,960 --> 00:21:05,280
So let's talk about prepping for
that many different people and

370
00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:10,560
personalities and then how do
you monitor and ensure that

371
00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:17,400
everything is is carried off, so
to speak, as well as it can be?

372
00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:21,080
So that's something I've really
had to learn as I go because

373
00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:25,360
prior to this position I did as
you mentioned earlier resource.

374
00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,840
So I was the teacher.
I've maybe had like one aid in

375
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,080
the past, but coming into this
program where we're we're

376
00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:34,920
switching to higher support
needs children.

377
00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,120
I, I had never taken on the role
of having multiple aids before

378
00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:42,600
and it's fluctuated, but right
now I've had the most aids I've

379
00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,800
ever had.
And I can say that proudly.

380
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:51,200
I feel like because the majority
I've had probably at least three

381
00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,760
of them for a few years.
One of them I've had for since I

382
00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:55,720
started, so that I'm in my 6th
year.

383
00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,800
I've had some ladies stick with
me for a while and then I've had

384
00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:02,920
some revolving doors with other
positions.

385
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,160
So I really had to learn.
And what the biggest thing that

386
00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:09,680
I've learned is that I look at
us as though we're A-Team and

387
00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,120
not like I'm the boss kind of a
deal.

388
00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:19,960
So we just really try to learn
each other's personalities and I

389
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,080
talked to them about what's
going on.

390
00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:27,600
I tried to assign the adults to
specific kids that I feel like

391
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,600
they kind of have a good
personality mix with, they kind

392
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,160
of vibe with.
I sometimes ask them what

393
00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,720
they're comfortable doing.
So there's just a lot of ongoing

394
00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,080
conversations with them and I
really try to make sure that

395
00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:43,080
they feel like they have a voice
and that they know that they're

396
00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,000
valued because truly, truly,
truly, my program would not run

397
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,840
without them.
There is absolutely no way.

398
00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:54,000
And so I just really want to
make them feel, you know, valued

399
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,120
and respected and, and like
their voice is heard as well.

400
00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,120
And so it's, it's taken some
time, but we've really tried to

401
00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:02,360
build a really strong community
in our class.

402
00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:06,640
We laugh a lot, we joke a lot,
like we make light of difficult

403
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:10,440
situations.
And so I would just say it's

404
00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,240
ongoing conversations and check
insurance and and safe places,

405
00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:15,680
right?
So that they can come and talk

406
00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,280
to me if they need to and they
can rely on one another because

407
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,600
if somebody's absent, then
somebody can come in and cover.

408
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,800
So yeah, so it's just kind of
not only we're building the

409
00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,240
community with the kids, but
with each other as adults as

410
00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,000
well.
And, and that definitely makes

411
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:34,520
sense because in such close
quarters, I'm not sure how large

412
00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:40,280
your room is, but that number of
people, adults and children, you

413
00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:44,520
do have to make sure there's
some social cohesion.

414
00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:48,720
Yes, yes, definitely.
And also it's nice too, because

415
00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,800
some of them, some of them like
to like be out more.

416
00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:56,040
So, you know, we kind of need to
plan it so that people are not

417
00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,280
always in the room because when
we're all in the room together,

418
00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,920
it's a lot.
So sometimes it's really nice

419
00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,480
when somebody goes and stays
with another kid for a while and

420
00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:05,600
then comes back later.
So just kind of mapping.

421
00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:09,360
It's like mapping basically.
So what what?

422
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:15,360
What would be 1 misconception
that you would like for for the

423
00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:18,440
public in general to know that
you think that they probably

424
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,960
have about special education
that you would like to

425
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:24,240
demystify?
You know, I think what I would,

426
00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:28,360
I would like for people to, to
know is that it's actually OK to

427
00:24:28,360 --> 00:24:32,480
be a little fearful, a little
scared of like stepping into an

428
00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:34,400
education classroom.
It's, it's OK.

429
00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,280
It doesn't make you wrong.
There's nothing wrong with that.

430
00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,800
What I want people to know is
that you can own that and be

431
00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:46,440
willing to eliminate the fear.
So come visit, come see how it

432
00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,320
looks.
You know, behavior is

433
00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,880
communication.
So are you a little scared of

434
00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:52,320
their behavior?
I get that.

435
00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:53,520
But guess what?
They're just trying to

436
00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:55,840
communicate something.
So let's learn how to not be

437
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:57,840
scared of that.
And that's something I've had to

438
00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:00,400
work with my aids as well,
because everybody doesn't come

439
00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:02,320
into the classroom knowing
exactly what to do.

440
00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,560
I've had to make a million
mistakes before I've figured

441
00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,760
things out.
So it's, I think it's the idea

442
00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:10,920
of it's OK to be a little
nervous and scared of what is

443
00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:13,400
different and what you don't
know, but be willing to

444
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:17,840
eliminate the fear and learn
about it and be willing to just

445
00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:21,480
be open to how inclusion can
look.

446
00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,040
And, and that's what I would
preach to general education

447
00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:26,520
teachers who are a little bit
nervous inviting students with

448
00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,400
special needs into their class
or people who might not be a

449
00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,120
teacher.
But just like what I don't

450
00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:33,560
really know much about special
education.

451
00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:35,800
Well, they're amazing kids who
could do amazing things.

452
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,600
And it's okay if you don't know
the answer to everything and and

453
00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:43,240
you want to ask questions.
You know, you made a very quite

454
00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:47,760
a few powerful statements, but
this idea of behavior is

455
00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,920
communication.
I mean, that's something that

456
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:55,760
can be directly lived, as we
talked about earlier, drawing on

457
00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,160
some of those highly effective
practices from special education

458
00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:01,880
and commuting them to general
education.

459
00:26:02,120 --> 00:26:06,000
So when we talk about behavior
issues, often times it it stems

460
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:10,080
to a lack of understanding of
students and what they are

461
00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:13,160
trying to express to us.
But it also can be the

462
00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,760
conditions of the classroom.
Absolutely, for sure.

463
00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,560
Thank you for listening to the
Ed Up Accelerated Excellence

464
00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,520
Podcast, and we would like to
share an opportunity for

465
00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,320
educators to contribute to our
XE Listening tour this week.

466
00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:32,200
Take time to listen to a
community member regarding their

467
00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,680
educational excellence and
equity experience because we

468
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:39,080
believe that by listening, we
unlock the engine for powerful

469
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,320
educational transformation.
Share your insights via

470
00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:46,880
voicemail at Ed Up xe.com, and
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471
00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:49,840
air with the podcast.
That's the XE listening Torrid

472
00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:54,840
at up xe.com.
Have you ever felt like everyone

473
00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:59,040
else in education has their
people, their network, their

474
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place to grow, and you're still
searching for yours?

475
00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:06,360
The National School Leaders
Conference, powered by the

476
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National Association of
Elementary School Principals, is

477
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where school leaders come
together to reconnect with their

478
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purpose, to find fresh
inspiration and remember they're

479
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not doing this work alone.
This July 13th through 15th in

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Orlando, you'll hear real
stories, learn practical

481
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strategies, and build
relationships with leaders who

482
00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:38,920
truly understand the challenges
and joys of this profession.

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Whether you're an aspiring
leader or ready to lead the

484
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school community, this
experience is designed to help

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you grow, recharge, and lead
forward with confidence.

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Learn more at NAESP
conference.org.

487
00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:14,440
That's NAESP conference.org.
So if you were to sit down,

488
00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,840
which I'm sure you have already
had sit downs with state

489
00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:21,840
leaders, but with leaders and
policy makers, what would you

490
00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:28,600
recommend to them for the
recruitment and retention of

491
00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:30,440
outstanding teachers like
yourself?

492
00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:35,120
You know, that's such, such a
good question and it's such a

493
00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:39,320
complicated question because
sometimes, you know, those

494
00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,000
things can be answered related
to like funding and things like

495
00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,680
that, right?
For me, though, the biggest, the

496
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:49,520
biggest thing that has kept me
here is feeling like I'm valued

497
00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,200
and supported.
And I have not always felt that

498
00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:53,720
way.
I have not always felt like I

499
00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,560
have somebody I can go to when
I'm struggling with students or

500
00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,360
I need more support or I need
more access to more learning,

501
00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:03,000
you know, giving, giving, a lot
of it is funding.

502
00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:07,160
Like we need acts, we need to be
able to go to learning event,

503
00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:09,560
you know, to educational events
to learn, learn more.

504
00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:12,920
We need to get our hands on
materials to provide for the

505
00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,040
students.
So a lot of it is funding, but

506
00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,920
the problem is that isn't always
available to everybody, right?

507
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:23,200
So to me, the biggest thing is
it's finding inventive ways to

508
00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:25,960
allow districts to show their
teachers that they can have

509
00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:27,920
support in some kind of
capacity.

510
00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,560
And sometimes that can be an
inventive ways.

511
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,600
You know, sometimes it's
honoring a teacher's after

512
00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,880
school time or honoring the fact
that they need to leave early or

513
00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,920
honoring the fact they need to
come in late or offering a place

514
00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:43,320
where they can come and talk and
feel safe and feel heard and,

515
00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,040
and not be ignored.
And so it's, it's not, I don't

516
00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:50,160
have a simple answer, but we've
got to find a way to make

517
00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,200
teachers still valued and to
feel like they, they, that they

518
00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,880
can be heard and have a place
that somebody can make them feel

519
00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,120
support and not like, well, it's
a, it's a you problem, not a me

520
00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:01,520
problem.
And I've experienced that.

521
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:05,560
And so, you know, I, that's why
I take so much pride in, in

522
00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:09,080
helping my team and trying to
support the Jenna teachers

523
00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:13,400
because it's, it's burnout is
high, especially in special

524
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:15,720
education.
And so we, we've, we've got to

525
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,600
retain teachers because
specifically special education

526
00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:21,400
teachers, they are so hard to
come by.

527
00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:23,400
A lot of people won't even touch
that job.

528
00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:28,640
So we just, we got to find a way
to to, to make special education

529
00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:31,560
teachers feel valued and to feel
like they have a place to go to

530
00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,000
ask for help because we don't
always know what we're doing.

531
00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:39,360
We're just here to try.
Two points 1 is you're right,

532
00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:44,560
special education is one of the
shortage areas across the

533
00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:47,480
nation, but in my state,
particularly in New York, I'm

534
00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:52,000
not sure about in Arizona,
saying we also have an excess of

535
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,720
folks who are certified because
of many programs now in teacher

536
00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,080
preparation are dual cert
programs, Gen.

537
00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:05,480
Ed and special Ed.
But teachers will opt out of a

538
00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:09,080
special education placement more
often than they will a general

539
00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:13,720
education placement.
And also you said something that

540
00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:18,480
I thought was very profound and
I'm hearing sort of a, a

541
00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:22,520
unifying thought about learning
when I, when I'm, when I listen

542
00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,760
to you, you said support where
you can go in and ask questions

543
00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:31,200
of you don't know something.
You are not viewed as being

544
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:36,480
incapable or you're not viewed
as being someone who is under

545
00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:40,440
qualified.
So I get the sense that you're

546
00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:43,920
very, I'm not saying you're
comfortable, but you know how to

547
00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:48,080
navigate ambiguity.
Yeah, I've had to learn how to

548
00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,080
do that.
Yes, yes.

549
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:56,720
But being able to recognize not
knowing as a potential launchpad

550
00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:02,560
or launching pad for knowing.
Yes, I, I, I, I think that like

551
00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,480
that, that is the, the biggest
thing I've learned is that,

552
00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:10,080
especially coming to my job, I
came in willing to take on

553
00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:12,280
something that was hard, but I
knew I didn't have all the

554
00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:14,480
answers.
So I was willing to kind of

555
00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:16,760
learn as I go.
But I'm all type of person.

556
00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:19,440
I will ask the questions and I
will ask for help and I will ask

557
00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:21,560
you to come and show me what to
do and what can I do better.

558
00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:24,160
And I want the feedback.
And then I can give that to like

559
00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,640
my aides, right?
Like they don't, they're going

560
00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:28,360
to make mistakes too.
And I want to know it's all

561
00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:30,360
right, we're going, we're going
to do better next time, right?

562
00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:32,800
Like I model that all the time.
Like I didn't handle that very

563
00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,400
well.
And so I just thought I need a

564
00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,920
place to be able to like run
that off, you know?

565
00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:39,800
And I'm also good at telling
parents too.

566
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,160
I'm not sure, but I'll try and
find out for you.

567
00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:47,520
We're speaking with Tiffany and
Jason, who is the 2026 Arizona

568
00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:53,080
State Teacher of the Year.
So Tiffany, I really appreciate

569
00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:58,520
the insights and the energy you
bring to this conversation, but

570
00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:02,200
really to the profession because
it what rings through for me is

571
00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,480
that you really love what you
do.

572
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:09,160
And as you mentioned earlier at
the top of the show, it's not

573
00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:13,840
just about what you do in
services students, but also of

574
00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:17,160
the wrap around services,
meaning parents and even other

575
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:19,760
teachers who come in contact
with your students.

576
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:24,720
So that's quite beautiful.
And I mean that in the most

577
00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:29,920
serious way because not all
individuals and not all

578
00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:35,720
educators take up that mantle
and being a resource to the full

579
00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:40,120
community, though you may do
very well in your classroom, you

580
00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,200
may.
And for a number of reasons, we

581
00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,440
sometimes those may be a
personal reasons, you know, and

582
00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:47,560
when life is tough and you're
managing work and home, you

583
00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:50,240
don't have the the time and the
resource, but that's really

584
00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:57,840
beautiful that you do that.
So what is next for you as the

585
00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:01,520
2026 Arizona State Teacher of
the Year?

586
00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:06,320
And how might your broader
community or the end up

587
00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:09,159
accelerated excellence community
engage with some of the work

588
00:34:09,159 --> 00:34:14,440
that's that that's forthcoming?
Well, I do have the amazing

589
00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:17,960
honor of connecting with all the
other state teachers of the

590
00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:19,880
year.
So there's 56 of us.

591
00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:22,719
I believe you've already talked
to Prince from New York.

592
00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,000
So we are our our own national
cohort.

593
00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:29,320
So we get to continue to meet.
We actually will be meeting

594
00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:31,960
again in the summer for space
camp in July.

595
00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,560
So we and we have continuous
zooms going on.

596
00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,480
So we have continuous education
and connections happening.

597
00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:40,920
So we're all trying to elevate
with one another, learn from

598
00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:43,520
another, teach with one another.
So that, that's a huge thing

599
00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:46,159
that where we can bring back to
our own states, things that

600
00:34:46,159 --> 00:34:49,159
we're learning.
And then as far as my state

601
00:34:49,159 --> 00:34:52,480
goes, I get to kind of speak
around Arizona and I'm being

602
00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,440
invited to do different.
I have a keynote next week at

603
00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:59,280
the college graduate at the
college graduation for NAU

604
00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,240
Northern Arizona University.
So I'm going to get to do things

605
00:35:02,240 --> 00:35:04,160
like that.
And a lot of times people are

606
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,960
obviously asking me to speak
about special education.

607
00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,360
So I'm going to continue to do
that as well.

608
00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:13,280
But honestly, you know, my goal
after this is just to continue

609
00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:16,080
to keep learning and, and
improve my craft.

610
00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:19,680
I, I don't don't really see
myself doing anything different

611
00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:21,040
right now.
I want, I kind of want to stick

612
00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:24,240
with what I know and what I love
right now, but I think this is

613
00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:28,640
opening some doors.
I'm going to be collaborating on

614
00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:31,600
a new curriculum that will
hopefully help people with Down

615
00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:34,080
syndrome.
So I'm going to just continue to

616
00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:37,920
try to help as much as I can
around my state with, with the

617
00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:39,520
opportunities that I'm being
given.

618
00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:41,400
So.
Tiffany, that's wonderful.

619
00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:44,400
But before we go out, because
you brought this up, I have to

620
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:48,080
ask one more question.
And that question is, when you

621
00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:54,120
convene with your peers who are
also the state teachers, what

622
00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:58,280
has been the biggest take away
or what have you learned from

623
00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:02,560
those convenings?
You know, honestly, what I have

624
00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:06,440
learned is to take pride that I
was selected.

625
00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:09,360
So one of the things that we've
all worked on when we all got

626
00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:12,480
together for the first time, we
went to Google and we all got

627
00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:16,160
together in February and, and in
Santa Clara, CA.

628
00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,640
And one of the activities that
we did is we all had to say our

629
00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:22,800
state and we all have to say, I
am teacher of the year.

630
00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:26,400
And the whole point of that was
to like, we all have like this

631
00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:28,920
imposter syndrome of like, why
was I chosen?

632
00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,320
How could this, you know?
But it's like we were chosen for

633
00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,640
a reason.
So I've learned to be proud of

634
00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:36,960
myself because it's really not
just about me.

635
00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,720
It's about what I stand for.
But I did work my butt off to

636
00:36:40,720 --> 00:36:43,680
get here, so I'm going to be
proud of myself for that.

637
00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:46,960
And we are definitely proud of
you.

638
00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,080
So Tiffany and Jason, I want to
thank you for this opportunity

639
00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:54,840
to learn with and from you here
at Add Up Accelerated

640
00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:58,320
Excellence, where we seek to
advance educational excellence

641
00:36:58,360 --> 00:36:59,800
and equity.
Thank you.

642
00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:05,640
Thank you.
Thank you for engaging with Ed

643
00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:09,360
UP Accelerated Excellence, a
member of the Ed UP Experience

644
00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:12,720
network of educational podcasts,
and we encourage you to

645
00:37:12,720 --> 00:37:16,040
participate in our XE Listening
tour by listening to the

646
00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:19,200
educational stories of others
and sharing your thoughts with

647
00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:23,560
us at Edu pxe.com.
School leaders join us at the

648
00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:26,200
National Association of
Elementary School Principals

649
00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:30,120
conference in Orlando, FL July
13th through 15th.

650
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:34,080
Learn more and register at NA
ESP Conference org.

651
00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:36,880
You can find this and other
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652
00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:40,920
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653
00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:43,000
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654
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,320
If you like this episode, don't
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655
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656
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:53,360
guest, contact us online at EDUP
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657
00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:57,200
A special thanks to our research
assistant, Emma Worthington, a

658
00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:00,200
PhD student of Fordham
University's School Psychology

659
00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:02,200
program, and we want to hear
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660
00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:05,800
If you have feedback on this or
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661
00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:10,680
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662
00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:12,800
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663
00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:15,000
That's at UP xe.com.