Abstract

Bilingual special education teachers have an important role as advocates for their students as they navigate the special education and bilingual education systems. Teachers can be advocates within their curricular decisions and within the greater community by understanding the network of supports available to students and their families. Initiatives on my campus prompted an informal case study of the network of support available to bilingual Latino/a and Hispanic families of children with disabilities ages zero to five within the greater Fort Worth area. Through this work I identified a multitude of supports available including school resources, institutional resources, government resources, supply resources, and community resources. With an understanding of the network of support, teachers can be advocates as information sharers and connectors. If teacher preparation programs provide future teachers with the range of resources available to families, it can lead to greater collaboration between teachers, families, and the community, and greater advocacy on the part of the teachers.  

Keywords: bilingual special education, advocacy, teachers, network of support

How to Cite:

Mendoza, M. E., (2025) “Teacher advocacy in community: Supporting bilingual families in special education through support networks”, International Journal of Critical Pedagogy 14(1). doi: https://doi.org//ijcp.1415