Zero Reject: The Uncertain Future of Special Education

Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to.

Latest episodes

  • September 10, 2026 ·

    Introducing “Zero Reject: The Uncertain Future of Special Education”

    The Zero Reject podcast investigates the crisis in special education — from shifting federal policy to families fighting for their kids’ legal rights.

  • September 29, 2026 ·

    Reduction in force | 1

    When the office protecting disabled students’ civil rights was gutted, one attorney watched a lifeline for families disappear overnight.

  • September 29, 2026 ·

    25,000 complaints, and 7 minutes | 2

    Her son could only read four words at age 7. Her federal special ed complaint is one of 25,000 stuck with no answer. Zero Reject investigates.

  • October 6, 2026 ·

    The dumping ground | 3

    Before 1975, kids with disabilities had no legal right to attend public school. Zero Reject traces that history, and examines what’s at risk today.

Host

  • Anya Kamenetz

    is an award-winning journalist and author who has spent much of her career covering education, including as an education correspondent for NPR.