In this episode of Exit Tickets: Big Questions for the Front of the Class, Lance sits down with Michigan special education teacher Heather Gauck, whose career of more than three decades has centered on helping students feel safe, capable, and included.

Heather shares how thoughtfully chosen assistive technology—and, more recently, AI—can level the playing field and restore joy for students with disabilities. She reflects on what first drew her to special education, why relationship-building and social skills matter just as much as academics, and a moving reunion with a former student who once struggled with selective mutism and later proudly graduated from high school.

The conversation also explores the risk of AI widening the digital divide and the importance of ensuring every student develops the skills needed for an increa ...