The requirements for participation in the training are:  (1) a commitment to serve one's community, (2) the submission of a completed online questionnaire relating interest and experience, and (3) a willingness to become a member of the NAEAACLD's Parent Leadership Institute (see article below) for the purpose of referring families in need of help.  Training materials will be provided in advance for all individuals registered prior to July 31.

The content of this culturally appropriate training is based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that entitles all eligible school-aged children and youth with disabilities to receive a "free appropriate public education."  The training will include a panel discussion that focuses on racial inequality in special education. 

Panel to Feature Experienced Parent Leaders

Kim Foster is a Coordinator for the Family Focus Resource & Empowerment Center (FFREC), a non-profit oganization affiliated with the Michael D. Eisner College of Education at California State University, Northridge, that serves families who have children with special needs.  In addition, she is a lay advocate in private practice.  Among her many contributions, she is a member of a panel of special education attorneys and advocates for the Juvenile Division of Los Angeles County Superior Court who are appointed to represent the educational needs of children in the foster care and juvenile delinquency systems.  Kim holds a B.A. in both Sociology and Law & Society from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a background in child development and concentration in special needs.

Jennifer Rogers is an independent learning specialist and educational consultant.  As a learning specialist at the All Kinds of Minds Student Success Center and a Field Liaison with the Duke Endowment Learning Initiative, she conducted assessments, developed personal management plans, and demystified hundreds of struggling learners.  She has also designed professional development experiences for K-12 educators.  Jennifer attained her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Special Education (K-12) at James Madison University in Harrisburg, Virginia and her graduate degree in Early Intervention and Family Support (Birth-K) with a concentration in Social Inclusion at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Vivica Brown, a former civil rights attorney, is an education advocate and principle of Exceptional Student Advocacy, Inc.  She is participating as a facilitator in NAMI's program for Parents and Teachers as Allies which attempts to provide sensitivity training to teachers and administrators regarding children with behavioral health issues impacting education.  Vivica has a son with multiple disabilities for whom she has advocated for many years.  She has partnered with parents of children with disabilities in the Atlanta metro area to ensure appropriate eligibility, placement and services under IDEA and Section 504 and represented children in educational neglect legal proceedings to help overcome home and environmental barriers to school attendance for young children. 

Cheryl Poe, Chair of the NAEAACLD's Parent Leadership Institute, will also serve on the panel.  Please see the feature article below, PLI Chair Brings Success to the Job, for more information about her work. 


Linda James Myers (left), Ph.D., Chair of the NAEAACLD Board of Trustees, and professor of African American and African studies and psychology at The Ohio State University will help to facilitate the discussion.  Dr. Myers is a past president of the Association of Black Psychologists and has received numerous honors and awards for excellence in research and scholarship.


Jayne Young (right), an experienced corporate trainer, parent mentor, court mediator, and parent of a child with a learning disability will facilitate the training.  She has a B.A. in Interpersonal and Public Communications. 

For more information on this parent advocacy training, visit the NAEAACLD website at www.aacld.org and follow the prompts at the top of the home page.

Cheryl Poe, Chair of the Parent Leadership Institute, resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she runs Advocates 4 Kids.  She is a parent but she also takes great pride in understanding the struggles of children because she has a learning disability, along with ADHD.  The goal of her organization is to assist families and to hold schools accountable.  Recently, she represented a family in Virginia and won a due process hearing, ultimately proving that the school system had not provided the child with the appropriate supports and services to be successful. 

The parent later stated, "By winning this case, we have changed the direction of our schools . . . the new classroom required to be set up has allowed others to have what we wanted for our son, which was to be educated with his peers in the least restrictive environment.  To all parents, I suggest that you protect yourself by recording all meetings, truly knowing your child's rights, and by seeking advice and representation from an advocate like Cheryl Poe . . . my advocate for life."

Ms. Poe received a B.A. from Virginia Wesleyan College and an M.A. in Urban Education and Counseling from Norfolk State University.  She has completed a psychotherapy program hosted by the Washington School of Psychiatry and post graduate hours in Advanced Counseling from Old Dominion University.  Her affiliations include the Virginia State NAACP Education Committee, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Chair of the Community Education Consortium and Board Member of the Southern Christian Leadership Action Council.