Human Restoration Project is proud to partner with the Michigan Department of Education and the State Board of Education’s Special Education Committee on its statewide listening tour on special education services.
The first session took place on November 9 at the Saginaw Intermediate School District. It begins a series of community conversations across Michigan with one aim: learning directly from families, students and educators about their experiences with special education. For many families those experiences have been difficult, and they deserve to be heard with care.
HRP supported MDE in running these sessions through Polaris ↗, our empathy interview platform. Polaris helps communities hold structured, small-group conversations and turns what people share into insight that decision-makers can act on.
Turnout went well beyond expectations: 30 people RSVPed and 85 ended up showing up. Across 13 small groups, families, educators and community members spent 45 minutes in focused, constructive Polaris conversations about what is working in special education and where change is needed. Many participants told us they valued how intentional the process was and how closely it kept to strengthening public education.
This work matters because families are the experts on their own experiences. Students with disabilities and their families deal with the special education system every day. Lasting improvement depends on listening to them, and on building processes that make it possible to hear them well and actually take action on what they need.
We’re grateful to MDE, State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko, Board President Dr. Pamela Pugh, Director of Strategic Planning and Implementation Kelly Siciliano Carter, the members of the Special Education Committee, and Saginaw ISD for their commitment to centering community voice. We look forward to supporting the sessions ahead.