This article casts light on how one public school system in the United States minoritizes migrant students by perpetuating systemic class and racial biases. Migrant students are the children of migrant workers who migrate across the United States seasonally to work in agriculture or fisheries. Based on in-depth interviews with 20 educators, we…

Since the conception of education in the United States, schools have been the battlegrounds for equal opportunities among African American students. In an effort to improve educational options and achievement for such students, charter schools have emerged as a popular solution for African American parents. Findings from this study shed light on…

Using original qualitative and quantitative data, "Schools Under Siege" confronts the many ways, direct and indirect, in which US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies and practices disrupt education. The book explores not only the impact of these policies on the six-million-plus K-12 students in the US at risk for being…

Several different types of parent involvement with schools have been identified in the special education and general education literature, including (a) advocacy, (b) collaborative partnership, (c) home-school communication, and (d) school-based participation. However, it is unclear which types of involvement are addressed in the literature and…

Every day Carl Wayne Denney or his wife, Tuesday, becomes a teacher for Livia, their 13-year-old daughter. They have enrolled their daughter in schools and programs around the country, but they have not been able to find a program that can provide the support they need. In their search for the appropriate school, they have experienced objections…

This article presents findings from a qualitative research study conducted with and for Latina mother leaders. Using a "muxerista" (womanist) framework, we demonstrate how Latina mother leaders articulate forms of leadership to advocate for their children and utilize leadership strategies in the development of educational policy such as…

This book presents an in-depth discussion of how human disability and parental advocacy have been constructed in American society, including recommendations for a more authentically inclusive vision of parental advocacy. The authors provide a cultural-historical view of the conflation of racism, classism, and ableism that has left a deeply…

The purpose of this study was to assess the increase of Latino parents' confidence in advocating and supporting their child's schooling. The intervention was implemented in six public independent school districts in the Southwest United States. The data was examined through matched pre- and post-surveys (n = 45). Findings are consistent in…

This study originated as an institutionally sponsored research residency conducted using utilization-focused evaluation (Patton, 2008) to investigate the nature of dispositional changes in candidates pursuing National Louis University's M.Ed. and Ed.S. degrees leading to educational leadership (EDL) state certification in one large urban school…

Family-professional partnership is an essential component of the special education process for children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). However, many families face barriers to participation in the special education process. Latino families especially face systemic barriers when participating in educational…

Parents who participate in family literacy and family learning programs gain new skills and knowledge through Family Service Learning projects. They increase their social capital and self-efficacy, especially developing leadership and advocacy skills, when they focus on issues of concern and relevance on behalf of themselves and their children. A…

Although expected to be equal partners in the special education process, parents of children with disabilities often struggle to participate in individualized education program (IEP) meetings. Specifically, Latino parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face systemic barriers occluding their participation and advocacy in IEP…

The emphasis on parents in addressing the needs of children with disabilities is of great importance as education enters the second decade of the 21st century. This involves a movement from parents being passive recipients of decisions being made about their child by those outside of the family (e.g., teachers, service providers) to being…

According to the University of Notre Dame's online dictionary (n.d.), the word advocacy comes partly from the Latin word "advocare," which means "to summon or call to one's aid." This definition provides an interesting look into what advocacy means when looking at the special needs of a child. Advocacy is a summoning of…

Since 2011 DC School Reform Now (DCSRN) has worked to help families in the city's most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods find success with school choice and enroll in high-quality schools. DCSRN's parent advocates focus on understanding the families they serve and the barriers they must overcome--an approach that requires flexible,…