Seattle Special Education PTSA
- Advocates for neurodivergent and disabled students with or without IEPs or 504 Plans within Seattle Public Schools and their families, educators, and the community.
- Empowers families by guiding them through the education system, supporting informed decision‑making, and collaborating with partners to expand access to resources.
- Drives systemic change toward equity and inclusion by challenging discriminatory policies, practices, and narratives, particularly those harming students of color with disabilities. This includes upholding IDEA, Section 504, and ADA law.
Mission & Vision
Every child’s potential a reality: PTA’s mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
We envision a public school system where students of all backgrounds, abilities, and identities are valued, included, empowered, and successful in life. We believe in a community where diversity is celebrated, belonging is unconditional, and every child thrives.
Learn more
In the News
Kids Do Well If They Can
“What if we stopped asking, ‘Why won’t this kid behave?’ and started asking, ‘What is this kid trying to tell us?’” This question sits at the heart of the work of Ross Greene and his Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model. It represents a fundamental shift...
SPS Practices Result in Inadequate Staffing
Local PTA leader and SPS parent Kaitlin Murdock has been crunching the district’s own numbers, and what she found is alarming. In the letter below, which she recently sent to the Seattle School Board, Kaitlin lays out how years of flawed (and at times manipulated)...
In the News: Special Education Funding in Washington State
Jana Parker, president of the Seattle Special Education PTSA, is quoted in this article, which explores the possibility that Washington will life its 16% funding cap on Special Education. Read more
The Guide
The award-winning A Guide to Special Education in Public Schools is available in 10 languages. This 24-page booklet has helped numerous families understan and navigate Special Education in Seattle.
