12/29/2025
Today's principle is Ujima—collective work and responsibility. And honestly? This one hits different in special education advocacy.
Here's the truth: No one should have to fight for their child's education alone.
Ujima reminds us that creating access and appropriate education isn't just one person's job. It's not just the parent's responsibility. Not just the teacher's. Not just the advocate's or the district's.
It's all of us.
When we practice Ujima in advocacy:
Parents bring the irreplaceable knowledge of their child—what works, what doesn't, what lights them up, what shuts them down.
Educators bring expertise in instruction and the daily reality of classroom implementation.
Advocates bring knowledge of rights, strategies, and the bridge between families and systems.
Young adults bring their own voices about what they need and where they're headed.
Communities share resources, templates, success stories, and the reminder that you're not alone in this.
The strongest IEPs I've seen? They happen when everyone at the table takes collective responsibility for the child's success—not passing the buck, not protecting budgets over kids, not treating education as a favor instead of a right.
Ujima asks us: What are we building together? And who are we leaving out?
Today, I'm grateful for every family who shares their story so another family knows they're not alone. For every educator who goes beyond compliance to true collaboration. For every community member who shows up, speaks up, and lifts up.
This work? We do it together.
Happy Kwanzaa, Day
