On 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.

In 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.

Key Moments

03:15 Identifying one-off curriculum requests across special education

04:21 Aligning special education with district curriculum systems

05:39 Using data and training to strengthen implementation

06:58 Building common language across schools

09:13 Navigating unfunded mandates and shifting initiatives

10:03 Creating collaboration between special and general education

11:04 Designing PD systems teachers actually attend

12:56 Supporting compliance through shared expertise

13:47 Using real case judgments as learning tools

16:11 Serving students in their school of residence

17:51 Building site-based special education teams

20:24 Leadership impact beyond personal recognition

27:58 “To Own a Dragon” and understanding student context

Why You’ll Love This Episode

This 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.

You’ll also hear powerful reflections on leadership that focuses less on personal initiatives and more on lasting impact. Rusty’s story about understanding students’ unseen challenges—and building cultures that respond with empathy and structure—offers an important reminder that instructional coherence must always center the human experience of learning.

Connect with Rusty Gordon | Director of Pupil Services
Marysville Joint Unified School District

Website: https://www.mjusd.com/#
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rusty-gordon-02271026

Connect with Dr. Ronald G. Taylor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ronald-taylor-59999981/

NovoDia
Website: https://www.novodia.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/novodiaed/

About Beyond the Box
Beyond the Box is the podcast where district leaders share how they are customizing curriculum to better serve teachers and students, and how they are filling gaps in boxed programs to ensure alignment and consistency.

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