Episode Details

I’m excited to share episode 127 of De Facto Leaders about a common debate for therapists and teachers:

“Is it worth it to get a doctorate?”

In this wide-ranging conversation with my colleague Dr. Christy Borders, we discuss ways to build language skills in students with hearing loss, as well as how to decide if it's time to take the leap and get your doctorate. 

The backstory of this conversation is that I recorded it back when I didn’t have a podcast thinking, “Maybe one day I’ll launch a podcast and be able to use this as an episode”. 

That’s exactly what I did! 

Since I’ve been getting so many comments and questions lately from people wondering if a doctorate is the right choice for them, I wanted to share it on the show!

The first part of the conversation, Dr. Borders shares the first stage of her career as a teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population; and why she decided it was time to take the leap to higher ed, even though she loved her job. 

We get into the discussion about making the decision to get a doctorate in the second half of the conversation. Here’s the run-down of what we cover in this conversation:

When you listen to this interview, you'll learn: 

✅How the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population learns to read, write, and speak. 

✅The impact of waiting until 6-12 months to get a hearing aid/cochlear implant. 

✅How to know if you should get a doctorate,  plus survival tips if you do take the leap.

✅How to get funding for a doctoral degree. 

✅The difference between an EdD and a PhD. 

✅What many people don’t know about research and scientists in the field of special education (and why this is actually good news). 

✅The best way to start an IEP meeting (especially if you have a strained relationship with the parents).

In this episode, I mentioned the School of Clinical Leadership, my course that helps school clinicians take the executive functioning lead in their building. To learn more about the program, go to drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership (http://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership)

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL and Renaissance:

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from r