From Strategic Plans to Student Impact: Inside CEC’s Vision for the Future

In this episode of Rewriting the Narrative, host Ben Tillotson sits down with Chad Rummel, M.Ed, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Exceptional Children, for a conversation about leadership, advocacy, and the evolving future of special education. Rummel reflects on his path into education and shares the early classroom experience that shaped his belief in inclusion and individualized learning. From there, the discussion expands into the strategic direction of CEC, including how the organization moved from strengthening internal operations to focusing more intentionally on member needs and the broader special education field in the years following COVID. The conversation also explores CEC’s approach to strategic planning, which pairs aspirational goals with measurable success metrics and flexible quarterly operational planning. Along the way, Rummel highlights key initiatives and accomplishments, including Project 2020, the Diversity Leadership Academy, expanded policy engagement with Congress, and the behind-the-scenes partnership work that helped launch new resources like CEC’s AI-driven teacher empowerment toolkit. Looking ahead, Ben and Chad discuss the priorities likely to shape CEC’s next strategic plan, including educator shortages, responsible AI integration, stronger collaboration with general education, and the challenges emerging from ongoing federal restructuring in education policy.

 

Rewriting the Narrative is produced by Association Briefings.