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.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Beyond the Box for more conversations on curriculum, instruction, and equity-focused leadership.

On Beyond the Box, host Dr. Ronald G. Taylor sits down with Troy Lange, Executive Director of Exceptional Student Services at Eagle County School District in Colorado. Troy oversees special education, gifted and talented programming, and nursing services—designing systems that support students ages 3 to 21 across diverse schools and pathways.

Troy shares how Eagle County moved from individual teacher-selected materials to a clearer districtwide service delivery model, why intervention fidelity matters more than simply purchasing resources, and how standards-based grading creates both friction and opportunity for students with disabilities. He also reflects on supporting twice-exceptional learners and building instructional systems that balance coherence with personalization.

Key Moments

02:31 Inventorying special education materials across the district

03:04 Defining a districtwide service delivery model

04:04 Building ongoing PD cycles for new staff

04:49 Barriers to blended learning adoption

06:11 Shifting teachers from content delivery to feedback focus

07:00 Supporting rural districts through collaboration

09:08 Lessons learned from pre-COVID blended learning work

09:54 Retention through instructional satisfaction

11:11 Using progress monitoring to inspire teacher buy-in

13:17 Standards-based grading and IEP tensions

14:57 Intensive interventions in elementary years

16:47 Differentiating struggling learners from disabilities

Why You’ll Love This Episode

This episode offers a thoughtful look at how exceptional student services can move beyond isolated classrooms toward coherent district systems. Troy explains how service delivery models, intervention fidelity, and progress monitoring can drive stronger outcomes while increasing teacher satisfaction.

You’ll also gain insight into navigating standards-based grading with IEPs, building meaningful Tier 2 interventions, and supporting twice-exceptional students whose “unique brilliance” requires both challenge and support. It’s a valuable conversation for leaders balancing compliance, innovation, and belonging for every learner.

Connect with Troy Lange | Executive Director of Exceptional Student Services
Eagle County School District

Website: https://www.eagleschools.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-lange-5b401aa8

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.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Beyond the Box for more conversations on curriculum, instruction, and equity-focused leadership.

On Beyond the Box, host Dr. Ronald G. Taylor sits down with Brooke Martin, Executive Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) for Aldine ISD in Houston, Texas. Brooke shares what it takes to lead CTE at a massive scale, serving more than 20,000 students across 45+ programs, while still building coherence, quality instruction, and equitable access to real career pathways.

This conversation explores the unique challenge of aligning Texas standards with fast-moving industry demands, why strong vendor partners can expand access (especially for specialized student populations), and how Aldine’s $32M HEAL initiative, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Memorial Hermann, reimagines healthcare pathways through immersive, hospital-connected learning. Brooke also shares how Aldine supports multilingual learners and new industry-based teachers through cross-department collaboration.

Key Moments

03:08 Scaling coherence across 45+ CTE programs

03:42 Bridging TEKS and industry expectations

04:39 Partnering directly with industry leaders

07:03 Using ICEV to support diverse CTE classrooms

07:58 Expanding CTE access for specialized campuses

08:54 Inside the HEAL healthcare high school model

10:01 Designing multiple health science pathways

10:51 Memorial Hermann hospital-based learning

12:06 Breaking down the $32M HEAL investment

12:46 Cross-curricular alignment with healthcare metrics

14:35 Supporting multilingual learners in CTE

15:18 Training industry-hired teachers for classroom success

Why You’ll Love This Episode

This episode offers a powerful look at what CTE leadership really requires at scale. Brooke explains how to align standards, certifications, equipment, and real-world application without losing instructional coherence.

You’ll also gain insight into how large initiatives like HEAL are built through collaboration, clear purpose, and strong partnerships. If you’re leading CTE, expanding career pathways, or thinking about how to better connect learning to workforce readiness, this conversation delivers practical strategies and inspiration.

Connect with Brooke Martin | Executive Director of CTE
Aldine ISD
Website: https://www.aldineisd.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-martin-b0873111

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.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Beyond the Box for more conversations on curriculum, instruction, and equity-focused leadership.

On Beyond the Box, host Dr. Ronald G. Taylor sits down with Christopher Sanzeri, Assistant Director for Curriculum and Instruction in Specialized Student Services at Elgin Area School District U-46. Christopher shares how U-46 is rethinking special education curriculum design, moving away from fragmented, supplement-heavy models toward coherent, aligned instructional systems.

This conversation explores the district’s shift to selecting high-quality curricular resources first and then building frameworks around them, as well as the launch of the Multi Abilities Classroom (MAC) model. Christopher also discusses balancing curriculum coherence with teacher autonomy, using common assessments responsibly, and leveraging new tools, including AI, to better individualize instruction while maintaining equity and rigor for all learners.

Key Moments

02:37 Shifting from framework-first to resource-first curriculum design

03:32 Building coherence through aligned instructional materials

05:13 Origins of the Multi Abilities Classroom (MAC) model

06:47 Aligning programs for students with diverse learning needs

08:40 Redistricting as a catalyst for system redesign

09:21 Launching MAC with districtwide planning and support

12:06 Curriculum coherence and teacher autonomy

14:24 Rethinking grading and common assessments

15:42 Clarifying accommodations versus modifications

17:21 Using AI tools to individualize assessments

22:19 Aligning MAC goals to the district strategic plan

25:51 Measuring success through student access and voice

Why You’ll Love This Episode

This episode offers a thoughtful, practical look at how special education systems can move beyond patchwork solutions toward intentional, scalable design. Christopher shares real examples of how curriculum coherence, clear expectations, and smart use of technology can improve access to grade-level content without sacrificing individualization.

Listeners will also gain insight into how districts can monitor implementation, honor teacher expertise, and elevate student voice as a meaningful measure of success. It’s a must-listen for leaders navigating inclusion, equity, and instructional alignment in complex systems.

Connect with Christopher Sanzeri | Assistant Director for Curriculum & Instruction Specialized Student Services
Elgin Area School District U-46

Website: https://www.u-46.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-sanzeri-8a4a2b93/

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.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Beyond the Box for more conversations on curriculum, instruction, and equity-focused leadership.

On Beyond the Box, host Dr. Ronald G. Taylor sits down with Zeek Edmond, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning for Tacoma Public Schools. Zeek shares how Tacoma is expanding equitable access to early learning, strengthening teacher retention, and building aligned systems that support both students and educators.

From scaling preschool from a handful of pilot sites to districtwide access, to creating structured mentorship for new and transitioning teachers, this conversation explores how intentional design turns equity goals into everyday practice. Zeek also reflects on his leadership journey featured in 178 Days: Confronting a History of Failure, offering honest lessons on transparency, data-informed culture, and why systems matter as much as strategy.

Key Moments

04:57 Expanding preschool access across Tacoma

06:27 Facilities and logistics of scaling early learning

07:16 Moving from half-day to full-day preschool

09:21 BEST Mentor Program for teacher retention

11:12 Supporting new teachers beyond instruction

14:55 Lessons from 178 Days school turnaround work

17:06 Using data to build student ownership

21:03 Student-selected support through Friday “FaceTime”

24:21 Whole-child systems in daily instruction

29:50 Reducing disruptions to protect learning time

34:23 Course access and scheduling as equity levers

41:17 Field trips as an equity and opportunity strategy

Why You’ll Love This Episode

This episode offers a clear, systems-level look at how district leaders move from isolated initiatives to coherent, scalable practice. Zeek shares practical examples of early learning expansion, teacher mentorship, and whole-child frameworks that directly improve academic outcomes.

You’ll also hear thoughtful insights on equity that go beyond intention, including how master scheduling, course access, and shared language across departments can either create or remove barriers for students. It’s a valuable listen for leaders focused on sustainability, alignment, and real-world impact.

Connect with Zeek Edmond | Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning
Tacoma Public Schools
Website: https://www.tacomaschools.org/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zeek-edmond-coach

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.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Beyond the Box for more conversations on curriculum, instruction, and equity-focused leadership.