Season 1 Episode 18: The Special Education System Reset: Leadership, Behavior, and Structural Change

What happens when the systems designed to support students begin signaling that something isn’t working? In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Dr. Ashlee Brown to explore a critical and timely question: Is it time to reset how special education systems operate? Drawing from experience as a teacher, administrator, researcher, and parent, Dr. Brown examines the structural signals that suggest misalignment between system design and student needs. Together, they unpack: The growing special education workforce shortage Rising family disputes and due process requests The tension between compliance and meaningful learning outcomes How behavioral contingencies shape adult decision-making in education systems Why fear of conflict often drives placement and service decisions How leadership can redesign contingencies to prioritize learning, relationships, and student outcomes Using behavioral science as a lens, this conversation reframes system challenges not as individual failures, but as predictable outcomes of the contingencies leaders create. This episode is essential listening for: Educational leaders Behavior analysts Special education professionals Policy leaders Advocates and families Because if behavior is shaped by contingencies, then systems can be redesigned to produce better outcomes for students, educators, and families. Guest: Dr. Ashlee M. Brown, Ph.D., BCBA, LBS, Assistant Professor, Special Education Dr. Brown’s Bio Dr. Brown has spent approximately 18 years serving children with disabilities and their families in the Philadelphia area. Throughout those years, Dr. Brown served as a Special Education Teacher, as well as a Special Education Administrator. She is a certified Special and General Education Teacher, a certified Supervisor of Special Education in PA, a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Licensed Behavior Specialist (LBS). Dr. Brown received her Ph.D. in Special Education at Temple University in 2019 and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Special Education Department at a local University. Prior to transitioning to higher education, Dr. Brown spent 11 years as a special education leader in the Preschool Early Intervention system. Her leadership efforts included serving as the Director of a Private Academic School for young children with Autism, the implementation of large-scale program improvement efforts across Philadelphia, coaching support in the application of special education regulations, spearheading professional development for approximately 2,000 special education teachers, paraprofessionals and related service personnel, multiple family engagement initiatives and numerous research projects alongside several local universities. Dr. Brown has also served as an Adjunct Professor since 2015 and on the Executive Board of the PA Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children (PACEC) since 2021. Dr. Brown is dedicated to improving special education services for children and families. Her research interests include the equitable application of special education regulations in diverse settings, the implementation of evidence-based practices for young children with disabilities and their families and developing effective professional development structures for pre-service and in-service educators.