Although there are many approaches to grassroots organizing for equity in special education, the general goal of activists in this field is to ensure that special education resources are being allocated to those who need them most. Some organizations advocate for families who struggle to navigate the complex systems of special education in US public schools. These organizations strive to support families with cultural or language barriers that prevent them from finding the resources that their children need. They are often comprised of parents and educators who have experience navigating the special education system themselves, and who organize resources and networks that help others do the same.
Other organizations, however, focus on children who are being placed into special education programs who do not have disabilities. These organizations tend to focus on inequality in education more broadly. For example, some organizations that aim to disrupt the school to prison pipeline include equity in special education as part of their mission statement, because disproportionality in special education can lead to lower performance and higher suspension and dropout rates.
The following list contains both types of special education organizations outlined above.
Grassroots Organizations
Citizens who Seek Education Equality (Citizens who S.E.E.) is a grassroots organization comprised of parents and volunteers that provides free educational advocacy for students who need individualized education programs. Their goal is to help families who struggle to find resources and services for their children, with a focus on children who have special education or ESL needs. They also provide bilingual services for Spanish speaking families. The organization is based in the Coatesville Area School District (CASD) in Pennsylvania, and serves children in the surrounding area.
Matrix Parent Network and Resource Center is an organization in Novato, California that aims to provide resources to children with special needs and to empower families with special needs children to seek out the services they require. Matrix is comprised of volunteers and over 50% of the Matrix Board of Directors are of parents of children with special needs. Through one-on-one consultations, trainings, workshops and support groups, Matrix seeks out families who need assistance navigating the special education system in their school district.
Parents Helping Parents is a parent support network based in San Jose, California for families of children with special needs. They connect children at all stages of development with the services they need, which include resources in Spanish for bilingual families, lectures and information sessions. They also have support groups that provide families with information on where they can seek out other resources that their children might need.
Dignity in Schools (DCS) is a national coalition of grassroots organizations that aim to disrupt the school to prison pipeline in US public schools. Today the organization is made up of youth, parents, educators, grassroots organizations, and policy and legal advocacy groups. One of the factors that this group addresses is disproportionality in special education. Action they have taken on this issue has included making recommendations to the US Department of Education with regard to how schools should be held accountable for the disproportionality in their special education systems.
Restorative Schools Vision Project (RSVP) is a grassroots organization started by educators and activists who strive to end disproportionate discipline in schools. One aspect of disproportionate discipline that they address is disproportionality in special education, because students placed in special education have been shown to be more likely to be suspended and drop out of school. RSVP focuses on teacher education and trainings that emphasize cultural competency and student advocacy and support.
Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth is a grassroots organization based in San Francisco, California, that advocates for racial and economic justice in schools. They provide information about a variety of resources for students in the San Francisco area. One of their focuses is on equality in special education, which includes providing children who need special education with access to resources, but also providing advice to students who are placed in special education who shouldn’t be there. One example of their advocacy in special education is an information session on how to get free legal advice related to special education.
Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change (MFOFC) is a statewide grassroots organization that advocates for students with disabilities in Mass. By writing and passing statewide legislation in special education, holding information sessions for families and schools and sponsoring conferences and training workshops, MFOFC works towards providing special education access to all families who need it, both at level of individuals’ needs, and at the statewide level. One goal of MFOFC is also to partner with families across different cultures, and to provide resources for families of all cultures that go beyond translations of resources, and that provide the necessary support for families that need it.
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) is a group that advocates for youth involved in the juvenile justice system, working to ensure that students who have had encounters with the law still have a chance at leading fulfilling lives. One core principle that CJJ stands for is to recognize and serve youth with specialized needs. They acknowledge the links between special needs students and the juvenile justice system, and argue both that many students are overrepresented in special education, and that special education students are highly overrepresented in the juvenile justice system.
Texans for Special Education Reform is an advocacy group that works to pass legislation that promotes access to and equality in special education. The group consists of parents, educators and other advocates for special education reform. They use their social media platforms to reach out to other groups and to build support for the bills they are trying to pass.
The Transformation Center is a Massachusetts organization that originated from grassroots movements throughout the state to transform policies and practices with regards to mental health, trauma and addiction. This organization offers support networks, forums, information sessions, and training sessions for people who are interested in getting help with mental problems, and also for people interested in helping others. They also focus on providing resources for people of different racial and cultural backgrounds, with special support groups for Asian American, Black and Latinx people, among others.
In*Source is a parent organization in Indiana dedicated to providing resources to children with special needs. Most of the members of In*Source are parents and caretakers of people with disabilities. They provide training, information sessions, assistance and support to people who have special needs, and have resources targeting a variety of age groups and school types.