Families who have navigated the education world know how complex, confusing, and difficult it can be at times. As the protection and advocacy agency, we believe in the rights of all students, including students with disabilities, to access equitable and appropriate education alongside their peers.

In the fall of 2020, DRM, the Office of Public Instruction, and Montana’s Parent Training and Information Center, Montana Empowerment Center, came together with one shared mission: ensuring that all students with disabilities have the supports they need to succeed. These three agencies joined forces with the goal of creating collaborative supports for educators, administrators, and families in Montana.

The Coalition started based on the idea that collaboration is essential in using our limited resources in the most efficient way. We recognize that each agency plays a critical yet different role in the world of education. Identifying common interests and best practices between the three agencies and throughout the state will help bridge gaps within the education world and ultimately benefit Montana’s students. The Coalition is about collaboration at the state level through sharing information and ideas, sharing goals around specific areas, and understanding one another’s roles and responsibilities.

Similar collaborations across the nation have fostered close working relationships between State Education Agencies, Protection and Advocacy Agencies, and Parent Training and Information Centers. These collaborations have achieved positive outcomes sharing the same goal: improving outcomes for all children. As our Coalition effort has blossomed, we’re excited to share our first collaborative resource guide defining the roles and functions of each agency in an effort to make it easier for families. We look forward to continuing this work together.

Click the image below to download the resource guide.

Image of page 1 of the Education coalition resource. Click image to download the resource.
Image of page 2 of the Education coalition resource. Click image to download the resource.