From advocating at the state house to coaching individual parents, these advocates don’t all follow the same playbook. Sometimes they even draw different lessons from their work. But each has formula that works for them and their community.
Raising five children, Ary French learned that showing up to school events wasn’t enough鈥攔eal change required understanding how to help parents navigate the systems from birth to adulthood.
When districts say one thing but do another
Leslie Caraballo got tired of relaying the same empty promises to the frustrated parents in her community, until she realized she needed to go beyond complaints and invoke the law.
Finding parent power by infiltrating the school district
When board meetings and protests failed to create change, parent advocate Maribel Gardea got strategic鈥攑lacing parents on district councils and offering solutions until administrators had no choice but to listen.
Behind-the-scenes bridgebuilding
When ShaElla Askew failed to focus angry parents at her child’s school toward effective advocacy, she convinced the school to transform how it communicated with families.
From devoted Dad to community connector
Brian Donahue had been a social worker for decades when a single conversation with his daughter launched him to build a state-wide organization to support parents across Connecticut.
From 鈥渉ere comes trouble鈥� to national parent leader
Roquesha O’Neal always had the courage of her convictions. But the woman who used to “cuss everybody out” learned that raw passion needs to be tempered by a strategic plan.
This series was made possible through the valued partnership with National Parents Union.
