My first day working in a special education classroom was as an instructional aide to a little girl starting kindergarten. I remember sitting in a tiny chair next to her as she bravely made her way through a new routine in a new environment with new people. 

Her strength—and the strength of so many students I’ve worked with in the years since showed me that students always know what they need—we just have to listen. A child-centered approach gives us the opportunity to tune into what a child really needs and helps identify their unique strengths to build programs that help them thrive. 

Early in my work as an administrator, I was inspired by a mother who quickly established her role as an expert alongside the educators gathered for her son’s IEP. She showed us how essential parents’ knowledge is in building a successful program for a child. 

Countless experiences like this showed me that parents should be engaged as equal team members. It’s our job as educators to build their confidence and capacity in supporting their child’s education. 

During my PhD program, I learned that there wasn’t enough work being done directly with families. I was inspired by forward-thinking research, which made it clear that more input from families led to better outcomes for children. 

Surveying hundreds of families for my dissertation, I found that parents are eager to share their valuable experiences. Centering parents’ voices is how we create a complete picture of who a child is—in their home life and community.