We're Back!

In this episode of the Empowered to Advocate podcast, Dana Marie and Michelle discuss their return to the podcast after a long break, sharing updates on their professional lives and the evolution of their advocacy work. They emphasize their commitment to empowering parents and caregivers in the special education process, highlighting their unique perspectives gained from returning to the classroom. The hosts outline their new coaching approach, which focuses on equipping families with the knowledge and skills needed to advocate for their children independently. Looking ahead to 2025, they express excitement about new offerings and the continued support they will provide to families navigating the special education system. Takeaways It's been a long time since we were on here. We have been in the classroom for this fall. Advocates come from all sort of walks of life. We want to give you the tools and the strategies. The goal is that you eventually don't need us anymore. We are really excited to offer starting in 2025. We want to empower families to be their own advocates. This is something that we haven't been able to offer. We are here for all of that. Happy new year, everybody. Chapters 00:00 Welcome Back and New Beginnings 01:04 Returning to the Classroom 02:24 Unique Perspectives in Advocacy 05:11 Empowering Parents and Caregivers 10:09 Behind the Scenes of Advocacy 15:30 Looking Ahead to 2025