In this raw and real episode of Brighter Together, Monica Brown, Special Education Director at Providence Hall Charter School, shares what happens when students are invited into their own IEP process—and what happens when they’re left out.

 

From food intolerances masking as learning issues to emotional minefields in IEP meetings, Monica reveals the simple truth most educators overlook: students perform better when they believe they’re worth it.

 

She shares wins that don’t make the news but change lives—like reassigning a miscategorized student or giving exhausted staff the emotional permission to breathe. Her whole-child lens is one every SPED director needs to hear.

 

If you’ve ever asked, “How do we make IEPs less about compliance and more about kids?” this is the episode that answers it.