Blue Engine on Scaling Inclusion: Silos, Safety, and Systems Change ~ 1317

Tiffany Galloway
I feel like folks are looking at their data and disaggregating it in many different ways. A lot of times they might see movement in their general population of students across proficiency, then see really large gaps for their subpopulations. It makes them be reflective and say, Hey, what’s happening? What is true for the other group of students that’s making this possible that may not be true for the subpopulations that are not experiencing this?

Matt Guerrero
At Blue Engine, we have a very clear definition when it comes to learner variability. What we are saying and speaking to are the unique strengths, challenges, and life experiences that have to be embraced when designing inclusive environments for individual learning, whether that’s a classroom or a system. Learner variability should not be a barrier to intentional system-level or instructional choices. It has to be a consideration at the center of design.

Tim Villegas
Hi friends. Welcome back to Think Inclusive—real conversations about building schools where every learner belongs. I’m your host, Tim Villegas. Today’s episode is about what it takes to move inclusion from a single classroom to the whole system, why centering learner variability helps districts design Tier 1 instruction that works for more students, not fewer.

Our guests today are Matt Guerrero and Tiffany Galloway from the nonprofit Blue Engine. They’ve worked with districts from New York to Louisiana to the Pacific Northwest, helping leaders build capacity, align vision, and scale inclusive practices beyond co‑teaching.

We talk about Blue Engine’s shift from two teachers in one room to systems-level change, the surprising lessons they learned from New York City to very different regions of the country, and how leaders can break down silos so teaching and learning, special education, and behavior supports actually pull in the same direction.

We also dig into psychological safety, how to coach without judgment, and why small everyday decisions about materials, data, and planning are where equity really lives. And on a fun side note, you’ll hear a quick “try a job for a day” round with answers that range from ballpark vibes to balloon arches to architecture.

A perfect way to end our show. Before we meet our guests, I want to tell you about our sponsor. This episode is brought to you by IXL. IXL is an all‑in‑one platform for K–12 that helps boost student achievement, empowers teachers, and tracks progress in one place.

As students practice, IXL adapts to their individual needs so that every learner gets support and challenge, and each student gets a personalized learning plan to close gaps. Check it out at ixl.com/inclusive. Again, that’s ixl.com/inclusive. After a quick break, it’s time to think inclusive with Matt Guerrero and Tiffany Galloway. Catch you on the other side.

Tim Villegas
Matt Guerrero and Tiffany Galloway, welcome to the Think Inclusive Podcast.

Tiffany Galloway
Thank you for having us.

Matt Guerrero
Thanks for having us.

Tim Villegas
It has been a second since we’ve talked. We connected, I think, at the CEC Conference in March in Baltimore. I know that’s when Matt and I had a longer conversation, but we really wanted to have you on to talk about Blue Engine and the things you’re doing around inclusive practices. I’m wondering if we can start at the beginning. Can I ask a couple logistical questions? How long have you two been with Blue Engine?

Tiffany Galloway
I came aboard Blue Engine in 2021. So about four years ago is when I joined the team.

Tim Villegas
And you, Matt?

Matt Guerrero
I joined back in 2023, so this is my third year with Blue Engine.

Tim Villegas
Great. Both of you know that we know and love Sergio because he was part of our Inclusion Today team with the Educating Learners Alliance Community of Actions. So hey Sergio. He’s a great connector.

Tiffany Galloway
He is.

Tim Villegas
Exactly. So I know that Blue Engine historically supported co‑teaching, but going through some of your work, scaling inclusive practices seems like more of a focus. Am I reading that right?

Tiffany Galloway
You are absolutely correct. I think it starts with this. A lot of times we get the question of what prompted the shift from co‑teaching to broader inclusive practices. We started our work in New York City and then expanded into other places across the country. There are two key moments in our story connected to that.

First, we have a deep‑seated belief in what educational equity means and what it looks like to achieve our mission. We believed in our program model and that it was working really well, and that it was our responsibility to spread that beyond our neighborhood in New York City and start to do that in other places expressing interest in this level of work. We believed it was our responsibility so many students and educators could benefit from the support.

It became clear we were having strong impact in New York City and needed to look beyond it. That decision was made before my time, but I’m grateful because now I get to work in an organization like Blue Engine.

I was actually recruited by Blue Engine when I was leading inclusive practice work at DC Public Schools. I was brought on to lead the learning and design team and think about this growth we’re now talking about—the shift from co‑teaching to broader inclusive practices.

At that time Blue Engine was really focused on school‑level partnerships, one‑on‑one engagements, and what was happening at the classroom level. The organization has evolved tremendously since then. We’ve been on a mission to focus on how we propel inclusive practice adoption beyond a single classroom or school building and think about what capacity building looks like at all levels of a system.

Matt, you’re welcome to add in—we ping pong well off each other. But we really focus on helping system leaders think about the systems needed to support inclusive practice adoption at scale.

Matt Guerrero
Yeah, you’ll hear a lot of ping‑pong. The only other thing I’d add that really comes up for me from that capacity‑building perspective is that what we’ve learned is we’re really well‑positioned to bring to regions what we’re noticing is working well across the U.S. From a scaling perspective, we’ve worked with districts that have started the work of thinking inclusively at a systems level—work that can be daunting because the charge is so heavy. We’re able to bring perspectives from what we’re seeing in parishes in Louisiana, districts in Massachusetts, and places piloting work in the Pacific Northwest.

Tim Villegas
You just described three regions of the country that are very different.

Matt Guerrero
Very different.

Tim Villegas
What are some of the more surprising lessons from working with such diverse systems?

Tiffany Galloway
I’ll start, and Matt, feel free to jump in. I think one of the more surprising lessons for us—because we started our work in New York City—is realizing how much our early experience shaped our assumptions about what would be true in other spaces. New York City was ahead of the curve in many ways, whether it was inclusive instructional practices, having integrated co‑taught settings listed in the IEP as part of the structure for service delivery, or having access to high‑quality instructional materials and systemic structures we hope many systems have.

So when we expanded to other places, we assumed some of those enabling conditions would be true everywhere. We expected the same level of readiness. But when we expanded, we learned many systems were still working on foundational elements—understanding core components of inclusive instruction or aligning on a districtwide vision of what inclusive instruction means.

What’s also striking is the consistency of certain challenges. Even in systems that look very different on paper, we consistently encounter educators and leaders who are deeply invested, deeply motivated to do the work well, but are often seeking support in building basic knowledge, aligning stakeholders, building shared commitment, and thinking about phased implementation. Matt, you do a lot of work across regions—what are you seeing?

Matt Guerrero
You hit each of those. Nothing sums it up more than when Tim said those regions are very different. The approach to supporting this notion of learner variability—the idea that everyone has varying strengths that best help them engage with learning—is very different by region. I echo everything you said.

Tim Villegas
Do you have any stories that highlight what we’re talking about? I heard that the barriers are surprisingly similar across regions, but I also heard you say the commitment to supporting learner variability is also consistent. If I said, “Give me an example,” do you have a story in mind?

Matt Guerrero
Absolutely. Before the story, it’s important to understand the big difference between doing this at a district level versus a classroom level. True transformation starts when inclusive practices become an approach, not a place—when they’re at the center of system‑wide priorities, not teacher‑by‑teacher initiatives.

When district leaders define and embed a unified vision for inclusive access across departments and policies, it shifts the system at every layer. And at the classroom level, the most visible transformation happens when teachers shift from differentiating reactively to planning proactively, anticipating needs based on learner variability so that in moments of unanticipated tension, they’re mentally ready.

A consistent story I’ve seen across regions—New York, Massachusetts, Louisiana, California, Seattle—is a shift in understanding co‑teaching models. People often go from a “one teach, one assist” setup, where one person looks like they’re aimlessly walking around, to understanding there are two brains in the room. Let’s optimize the adults. Teachers start using both real‑time and after‑lesson data to plan.

I think of a Northern California partner focused on co‑teaching pairs. Individuals working with multiple pairs have to think about pre‑planning, what information they bring to one another, and at the district level—how schedules are designed to allow for co‑planning, how professional development aligns with the instructional bar. I often think back to the growth in co‑teaching and co‑planning in that partnership.

Tim Villegas
Thank you for sharing. Tiffany, do you have anything to add or another story?

Tiffany Galloway
I think of work from a systems level. I live in Baltimore, and we’re partnered with some of the city schools. They brought us in to craft a vision of inclusive instruction and help build a special education strategic plan to bring that to life, ensuring Tier 1 instruction is high‑quality.

This request came from leadership in teaching and learning—which is a big win. Often the work is led by special education or multilingual learner leadership, but here it was teaching and learning asking us to help envision inclusive instruction and refine existing structures—data collection, scheduling, staffing. There was this sense of, “We want to do this, but we don’t have the structures in place.” So they partnered with us to gather stakeholder input and design a strategic and implementation plan for future years.

Tim Villegas
What is the motivation of these district leaders to want to change? I’m always curious about that. When they come to Blue Engine and say, “Hey, we want to partner with you because…” what is the reason?

Tiffany Galloway
Matt, feel free to jump in. I feel like folks are looking at their data. School districts have no shortage of data, and they can cut and disaggregate it in many ways. A lot of times what shows up is they might see movement in their general population across proficiency and then see really large gaps for their subpopulations. It makes them reflect and ask, “What’s happening? What is true for one group that’s not true for the other?”

I think they’re also hearing from their educators who say, “We get training connected to curriculum or compliance, but we don’t know how to differentiate or teach to learner variability because our PD is all compliance‑driven. What supports are there to help us do this?”

Some districts actually have a clear vision—they know what needs to be true—they just don’t have the capacity to do the work. And sometimes they say, “We know you know how to do this, and we want your help building our capacity. But right now we need someone to actually do it.” They trust our work enough to lean on us in that way.

Matt Guerrero
I’d add that the start of the 25–26 school year is right around the corner. For many of our Louisiana partnerships, that’s in two weeks. Just yesterday we kicked off partnerships with Bienville Parish and St. Bernard Parish.

In Bienville, last year was a half‑year partnership focused more at the school and classroom level. But this year, the district came back and said, “We got our end‑of‑year results. Student achievement at the school you supported outmatched other schools in the district. Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it right. We want to think at a district‑systems level about how to establish structures that allow these supports across the whole district.”

Similarly, in St. Bernard we’re going into our third or fourth year. They didn’t just focus on classrooms. They brought data yesterday showing school‑level impact. For some partners it’s classroom‑to‑district. For St. Bernard, it was district‑heavy while still working with schools and instructional leaders. For districts that don’t yet have a codified vision, they still know what outcomes they want—and that’s also a draw.

Tim Villegas
Tiffany, did you want to add something?

Tiffany Galloway
Yes. I think we also have really strong and committed leaders who genuinely want to rethink school systems so every kid feels welcomed, seen, and like their classroom or school environment reflects their lived and learning experiences. They don’t want kids to be othered. When you asked about motivations, I think that vision sits with many leaders. They know it’s a challenge, but they want things to be different and true for all students. The question becomes: How do we make that possible?

Tim Villegas
Coming up, we dig deeper into what it really takes to shift whole systems toward inclusion—breaking down silos, building trust, and navigating the hard conversations that come with change. But first, a word from our sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by Adaptiverse. If you’re a special education teacher, you already know the time problem. Every week, educators spend 15 to 20 hours manually adapting curriculum, especially for students with complex communication needs—non‑speaking learners, AAC users, students with apraxia or language‑based disabilities. Creating personalized materials, building visual supports, designing multiple expressive pathways for the same lesson. It’s critical work, but it’s exhausting and pulls teachers away from teaching.

Adaptiverse changes that. Teachers describe what they’re teaching and who they’re teaching, and the platform generates grade‑level academic lessons personalized to each student’s needs with built‑in scaffolding and multiple ways to demonstrate understanding. These aren’t watered‑down worksheets. These are rigorous lessons that presume competence and increase engagement through personalization.

Adaptiverse is built on 60+ years of educational experience and is already used to create more than 2,000 lessons in 35 states, with educators calling it “lifesaving” and “irreplaceable.” If you’re ready to get those hours back and focus on what matters most, visit AdaptiverseApp.com to learn more.

Tim Villegas
So we’re all former classroom teachers, right?

Tiffany Galloway
Yes.

Matt Guerrero
Yes.

Tim Villegas
Okay. I’m a former special education teacher, and I want to ask about silos. In my experience working in two districts—one in California and one in Georgia—you have different departments: special education, teaching and learning, even a separate PBIS department. These departments often don’t know what the others are doing. Special education might be working on a behavior initiative, PBIS is also working on behavior, but they don’t know about each other.

Are these silos something you see when you work with partners? And no judgment—it’s everywhere. How do we get past that? How do we break down silos and start working together?

Matt Guerrero
That is a very meaty question, Tim. Yes, the silo reality is real. My background is in special education literacy. I live in DC and worked as a special education coordinator—like a SPED AP—for eight years. The silo reality comes down to the fact that within a role or department, folks are very blindered. There are so many inputs that people default to focusing only on their lane.

And it also connects to the fallacy of “We can’t focus on academics because we need to focus on culture.” But kids don’t do because they want to; kids do when they can. A focus on academics often impacts culture and behavior.

Breaking down silos starts with a unified vision around the outcome people hope to see. If the goal is that students feel seen, heard, challenged, and that they belong—what role does teaching and learning play? What role does special populations play? How do cross‑functional stakeholders impact that through their day‑to‑day roles?

Unifying groups around how their work touches that outcome is one thing. It also connects to our coaching models. We do side‑by‑side coaching with teachers, school leaders, and district leaders. We bring knowledge from what works in other regions and make sure it’s not, “Throw out what you’re using and use this.” It’s, “How does the best of this information complement—not replace—the work you’re doing?”

Tiffany Galloway
And like you both, shout‑out to middle school. I actually started my career teaching in Atlanta, Georgia. My background is in special education—learning disabilities and behavior disorders. I taught middle school literacy in self‑contained and then inclusive settings. Across my career I’ve been a teacher, building administrator, district‑level coach, and district‑level administrator—all in special education.

I can absolutely confirm the silo effect. When I work with districts now, we emphasize why it’s critical to have multiple stakeholders with different expertise and backgrounds at the table when crafting a vision. The work cannot be sustained if it’s powered by one group.

So we bring together teacher leaders, instructional coaches, building leaders, district leaders, and community members. And we set routines to keep these groups connected—not just at the start, but throughout the partnership journey—so they’re active participants, not just receiving highlights.

Tim Villegas
I want to highlight something for our audience who might be listening and thinking, “I want to change practices in my district. I want to move toward inclusion. I want to break down silos.” I have a feeling—not hard evidence, just a feeling—that the larger the school district, the more they feel like they can do it themselves because of their resources. “We have many resources, a lot of people, a lot of knowledge—therefore we can make the change.”

In our work with districts, the larger they are, the more they feel like they can do this. It’s not that they can’t—I don’t want to say never—but there’s something about having a partner who doesn’t work in the same system and can offer advice, coaching, or expertise to do things differently. Is that something you think about when working with people? There’s a question in there somewhere—I’ll just throw it to you.

Tiffany Galloway
I like the point you’re making. As we shifted from classroom‑ and school‑level work to more district and state partnerships, we saw that in larger districts, one of the biggest barriers to redesigning systems for inclusion is scale. There can also be hesitancy to bring in an outside organization because districts are filled with brilliant leaders who’ve championed work in many spaces. They have the knowledge set, but there’s a rub between knowledge and the capacity to execute.

With so many layers—central office teams, networks or regions, school leaders, coaches—it’s easy for the vision to get lost or interpreted differently at each level. Sometimes we see strong commitment at the top but no clear, coherent throughline for implementation across a district with 200+ schools.

Another challenge is capacity‑building at scale. PD often happens in pockets—your PD day or district preservice days. That makes it hard to build shared language or consistent expectations. I think back to my own experience leading in a district where special educators went to one school for PD, ELA teachers went to another, math teachers went somewhere else. If everyone is responsible for leading this work, but they’re not getting the same PD or the opportunity to come together, where is the work supposed to happen? Many places don’t have job‑embedded PD—something I love about Blue Engine because our work is interconnected and hands‑on.

To support large districts, we help create clarity at the system level: co‑developing a concrete, instructionally grounded vision of inclusion anchored in district priorities. Sometimes divisions have their own priorities that don’t speak to the overarching one. That alignment is crucial.

We then help leaders think through how that vision shows up in different roles and map it to messaging, tools, systems, and supports needed to sustain the work. Matt, I shot a lot at you there.

Matt Guerrero
I’ll add that another barrier is that this work is so personal. When an outsider comes in, people sometimes perceive it as evaluative—but it’s not. We’re working toward the same goal. It’s about identifying opportunities to increase efficiency because all groups are working toward the same thing. How can these efforts talk to each other?

We have to reconcile the personal and high‑stakes nature of this work. As former teachers and school leaders, we know students are the ones most impacted when adults get it right or don’t. Keeping that central helps people understand it’s not judgment—it’s, “This has served you up until now. Based on what we’ve learned and the current landscape, how can we make it better?”

Tim Villegas
The fear of judgment is so real. It reminds me—when I worked as a district support specialist, I would visit classrooms, observe, and then sit with teachers to go over suggestions or ways to do things more efficiently. Some people were more anxious than others, but the fear that I’d say, “You’re doing everything wrong,” was so palpable because we’ve all been there. We’ve been first‑year teachers. We know there are things to work on.

If you expand that to the district level, none of us are going in saying, “You’ve got to change everything.” That’s not the approach. The approach is partnership—conversation, figuring out what works best based on people and resources. There’s some fear there, and that fear might be a barrier to reaching out to an external partner.

Matt Guerrero
Absolutely. And if we’re talking about scaling systems, we also need to scale the concept that if we expect students to be okay making mistakes and learning from them, we as adults must model that. It’s not about doing something wrong. It’s about asking: How can we make this more efficient? How can we make this more sustainable for you long‑term so your passion for students remains strong?

Tim Villegas
That makes me feel so safe and valued, Matt.

Matt Guerrero
I’m so glad, Tim. That’s what we want.

Tim Villegas
Oh my goodness. Our organizations share many values—pursuing inclusion as both implementation and principle, and prioritizing educational equity. Those terms can be hot topics depending on where you are and who you’re talking to. They can push people’s buttons. How do you navigate that in our current political and educational landscape?

Matt Guerrero
Thank you for asking that. I’m glad we can bring this to the forefront.

At Blue Engine we have a very clear definition of learner variability. When we say learner variability, we’re talking about the unique strengths, challenges, and life experiences that must be embraced when designing inclusive learning environments—at the classroom or system level. We work with partners by starting with collaboratively understood definitions.

Learner variability should not be a barrier to intentional choices—it should be a central consideration. Now more than ever, when education isn’t guided by one centralized national approach, we need a shared foundation. It’s not a challenge that needs fixing—it’s a reality that must be embraced, with both strengths and needs planned for.

In practice, for students with disabilities, there are 13 categories under which a student might qualify for an IEP. One student with ADHD looks completely different from another. But we can anticipate certain manifestations. If we can anticipate them, we can plan for them.

We help districts contextualize that based on the barriers they know students and educators face, and then refine, build, or rebuild systems to support inclusive work.

Tiffany Galloway
I’ll add that it’s critical for us to show up as consistent forces reinforcing the message that educators—classroom or district level—need tools, resources, and knowledge to make decisions about inclusion and equity.

In daily practice, equity and inclusion show up in micro‑decisions:
Who gets access to content?
Is everyone expected to engage with HQIM, or are some students given less rigorous supplemental interventions?
How is data disaggregated and acted upon—by teachers and at the district level?

In coaching, we model equity by interrupting biases, centering historically marginalized voices, and using data to set subgroup goals with educators.

At the district level, we support systems‑level changes by embedding inclusion into leader evaluations, resource allocation, and decisions like whether citywide programs are concentrated in certain areas.

Tim Villegas
How are you incorporating student voice when you’re measuring the impact you’re having in a particular district?

Matt Guerrero
Formally soliciting student and teacher reflections in the form of a survey is absolutely not enough. Yes, we do that—we talk with students, teachers, and leaders to get their perspectives on how their lived experience impacts the way they show up. Hard numbers on achievement growth matter, and so do qualitative reflections on where folks at all levels are feeling and experiencing the types of success we know are possible.

I think about some work we’ve done in Baltimore City Schools and in Iberia Parish in Louisiana. We also conduct focus groups with families. It isn’t enough to say, “This assessment demonstrates this student is at whatever percent mastery.” It’s also important to get into experiential data: speaking with students about what it feels like to be in a classroom experiencing this content, speaking with teachers about what it feels like to be in this professional development setting, and whether they see applications they can try tomorrow in their classroom.

Those conversations help establish a psychologically safe space to speak about growth, practice, and perception. Because at the end of the day, perception can become someone’s reality unless confirmed or challenged. All of that needs to be in place to drive meaningful change—not just compliance with data.

Tim Villegas
What is next for Blue Engine?

Matt Guerrero
Want to kick us off, Tiff?

Tiffany Galloway
Yeah. What I’m really excited about in the upcoming year is that despite the landscape, the challenges, and the political climate, there are partners who are eager to continue, extend, and build upon the work they’ve started with us. Matt mentioned partners having kickoff meetings already this week, speaking to the progress they’ve experienced this past year and wanting to deepen the work.

I’m excited for us to continue being on the ground, locking arms, and figuring out solutions that work best in those environments. I’m also excited about working in new places and deepening our impact at varying levels of the system. From an organization that started working primarily at the classroom or school level to now primarily working at the district or state level— and seeing leadership invest in this—that is energizing.

My grandmother always said, “You can tell what people are invested in by what they put their money behind.” And folks aren’t just saying they care about it—they’re investing resources, time, and energy to make this a better experience for educators. That’s inspiring.

Lastly, Blue Engine has experienced a lot of collaboration with different leaders and organizations in the field this past year—at Eli’s Convening in Scottsdale, at South by Southwest, at CEC. There’s been a lot of good energy around collaborating, co‑creating, and thinking about solutions together. I’m excited about continuing that work.

Matt Guerrero
One thing I’ll add about where the excitement is—going back to that Bienville Parish example. That was a half‑year partnership, and the teachers and district leaders involved were so energized. Then when they received information that their students were improving and growing, exponentially so. What excites me is getting more folks galvanized around what is possible. It isn’t a gate‑kept magic bullet. It’s about coming together as a community, determining what people need, and thinking smartly about sustainable and efficient ways of delivering that.

Tim Villegas
Well, best of luck to you and Blue Engine, and to a very collaborative and productive school year for 2025–2026. Where can people find you and your resources?

Matt Guerrero
You can check us out at our website: blueengine.org. You can learn more about the support we provide at the teacher, school leader, and district leader levels.

Tiffany Galloway
And we’re also on LinkedIn. You can search Blue Engine. Matt and I are both on the Blue Engine LinkedIn page, but you can also find us individually—Tiffany Galloway and Matt Guerrero.

Tim Villegas
And you’re a 501(c)(3), right?

Tiffany Galloway
Yes.

Tim Villegas
After digging into the hard work of systems change, coaching, and creating cultures of belonging, we wrap up with something lighter—a question about what job we’d like to try for a day.

Tim Villegas
All right, excellent. I like to end my time with my guests with the mystery question. I have a stack of cards, and this is actually the end of an era, y’all, because this is my last card. I started with two full decks of cards—like playing cards—and this is it. This is the last one. I have to get my daughter to write additional ones. I don’t really remember what it is, but we’ll answer it together and that’s how we’ll end our time.

So: If you could try out a job for a day just to see if you like it, which job would you choose?

If you could try out a job for one day just to see if you like it, which job would you choose?

I’m going to pick something not education‑related or podcast‑related, because that’s my other job. What comes to mind? Oh, I know. I would love to work at Truist Park where the Braves play. That amusement‑park feel—everyone’s having a good time, you’re showing people cool things—it just feels fun. And I love baseball. So I think I’d want to work at Truist Park.

Now, what would I do exactly? I don’t think I’d want to be a cashier because then I wouldn’t get to see the game. I think I’d want to be somewhere on the front level, like security or something, where I could peek over and see what’s happening.

Tiffany Galloway
Fun fact: my very first job—I’m from Boston—I worked at Fenway Park, and I was an usher.

Tim Villegas
Nice!

Tiffany Galloway
In high school. And if you were a ticket taker, after the fifth or sixth inning you could go in and watch the game.

Tim Villegas
That’s awesome.

Tiffany Galloway
Yeah. You could take tickets and then go in and watch the game. That was my high‑school job. I’ve got some pointers for you if you’re interested in moonlighting up there.

Tim Villegas
There you go.

Tiffany Galloway
I’ll stay with the non‑education theme. I’ve been saying this to my sisters recently: I would be an event coordinator. I am all things DIY—Cricut, balloon arches, creating a vibe. I’d like to see what that’s like full‑time for a day. Not doing it for a loved one or my child, but in a paid event.

Tim Villegas
Nice. So—you said you have kids?

Tiffany Galloway
Yeah, I have a 13‑year‑old. He’s an…

Tim Villegas
Okay, so their birthday parties must be—

Tiffany Galloway
Oh yes. Meanwhile—

Tim Villegas
Matt’s face says it all.

Tiffany Galloway
The artistic prowess that Tiffany Galloway brings to an event is unmatched.

Matt Guerrero
Wow.

Tim Villegas
Okay, Matt, it’s on you.

Matt Guerrero
I’ll stick with the theme—outside of education. I’ve always wished I understood more about architecture rather than just respecting it as an art. I would love to try out larger‑scale building design. When we think about architecture—what we experience in cities, suburbs, rural areas—it often reflects intangible, unsaid things people are feeling at any given time. Think about brutalism; think about whatever else. I’d love to dabble in architecture, with the safety net of knowing it’s just trying it out.

Tim Villegas
We’re just trying it out. It’s not a career change. We’re putting our feet in the water, checking it out. I love it.

Tim Villegas
Matt Guerrero and Tiffany Galloway, thank you so much for spending time with me on the Think Inclusive Podcast. I really appreciate it.

Tiffany Galloway
Thank you so much. Thanks for having us. Have a good one.

Tim Villegas
That was Matt Guerrero and Tiffany Galloway. Here’s what I’m taking with me. So much of the work toward real inclusion isn’t about the heroic teacher or the perfect classroom strategy. It’s about the systems we build and the mindsets we bring.

When Matt and Tiffany talk about breaking down silos, it reminded me how often our departments, teams, and roles drift into their own corners—and when that happens, students feel the gaps. And the idea of learner variability—that every student comes with their own strengths, challenges, and experiences—pushes us to design differently. Not reactively, but proactively. Not fixing students, but shaping environments where more kids can access learning the first time around.

One practical step for educators: take a look at the next decision you make—materials, grouping, schedules, routines—and ask, “Is there a barrier here that I can remove for one student or many?” And who else in the building could I bring into that thinking instead of doing it alone? Little by little, that’s how we chip away at silos and build schools where every learner belongs.

Share this episode with a colleague who’s building inclusive schools. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow Think Inclusive wherever you get your podcasts.

Shout out to the audiobook fans. I’ve hit the ground running for the first month of 2026. I’ve polished off two audiobooks: Red Rising and Killers of a Certain Age—both fantastic. If you want to follow my reads this year, you can find me on StoryGraph at therealtimvegas. And if you’re reading something you’d like to share, email me at tvillegas@mcie.org.

Tim Villegas
Okay, time for the credits. Think Inclusive is brought to you by me, Tim Villegas. I write, edit, mix, and master. I basically wear all the podcast hats… and the baseball caps.

This show is a proud production of the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, with scheduling and extra production help from Jill Wagoner. Our original music is by Miles Kredich, with extra vibes from Melod.ie.

Big thanks to our sponsors, IXL and Adaptiverse. Visit ixl.com/inclusive and AdaptiverseApp.com.

Fun fact: a new study published in Scientific Reports suggests most people aren’t actually addicted to social media. They’re just stuck in powerful habits that feel addictive but don’t meet clinical criteria. Only a tiny fraction of users show true addiction symptoms, yet many more believe they are addicted because of media narratives. And here’s the twist: thinking of yourself as an addict can actually make you feel less in control, while seeing your behavior as a habit makes change feel possible. That’s from Scientific Reports.

What do you think? Are you addicted to social media? Email me at tvillegas@mcie.org. I read every single message.

And if you’ve made it this far, you’re officially part of the Think Inclusive Inclusion Crew. Want to help us keep moving forward with inclusive practices for every school and every district? Head to mcie.org and click the donate button. Give five, ten, twenty dollars—it helps us keep partnering with schools and districts to move inclusive practices forward and support educators doing the work.

Find us on the socials almost everywhere at Think Inclusive—but don’t get addicted.

Thanks for hanging out, and remember: inclusion always works.