# 372 Sandra Taenzer: Leading the Way In Early Childhood Special Education

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/women-over-70-aging-reimagined-892091/372-sandra-taenzer-leading-the-way-in-early-childhood-special-education
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/women-over-70-aging-reimagined-892091/372-sandra-taenzer-leading-the-way-in-early-childhood-special-education.md
Podcast: [Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined](https://stenobird.com/podcast/women-over-70-aging-reimagined-892091)
Published: 2026-03-18T03:15:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcast.show/womenaging/episode/153041471/
Audio file: https://media.blubrry.com/womenaging/content.blubrry.com/womenaging/372_Sandra_Taenzer.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/women-over-70-aging-reimagined-892091/episodes/372-sandra-taenzer-leading-the-way-in-early-childhood-special-education
Duration seconds: 1818

## Resource

At 86, Sandra “Sandy” Taenzer reflects on a lifetime of innovation in Early Childhood–Special Education that began in the 1960s in Germany and still resonates today. Working in a large Illinois School District, Sandy helped initiate early childhood special education through a Federal “First Chance Grant” in 1972. She and a multi-disciplinary team championed “natural, play-based assessment and play as the basis for early learning” She also pioneered collaborative partnerships with school districts and agencies, building interdisciplinary teams to serve children and families more holistically. Since moving to Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior in 2004, Sandy has become affectionately known as “Grandma Sandy,” volunteering through home visits, childcare centers, and one-on-one mentoring. Active with Arrowhead Indivisible, she speaks publicly about the Holocaust, sharing stories she heard firsthand from an older neighbor while living in Germany in her early twenties. Sandy warns that she now sees troubling parallels in today’s America. "I’ve been an activist all my life, working to ensure that every child has the chance to be their best self." - Sandra Taenzer Connect with Sandy Email: sft020939@gmail.com Learn more about Sandy’s ground-breaking work. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library--Oral History Interview - Educational Reform Act 1985 Sandra Taen zer https://presidentlincoln.illinois.gov/oral-history/collections/taenzer-sandra/interview-detail/ Thanking Our Sponsor: Plymouth Place, LaGrange Park, IL. Discover the extraordinary at Plymouth Place—a vibrant community designed for active adults. Elevate your retirement living experience with tailored independent options, premier amenities, and a full continuum of care. Explore diverse living choices and embrace the…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/women-over-70-aging-reimagined-892091/episodes/372-sandra-taenzer-leading-the-way-in-early-childhood-special-education/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/women-over-70-aging-reimagined-892091/372-sandra-taenzer-leading-the-way-in-early-childhood-special-education.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.