Advocacy with Lisa Mosko of Speak Up Parents

Lisa Mosko has worked for over 13 years to support families with children with learning differences to advocate and plan for their kids’ social, emotional, and academic success. She is the leader of Speak UP’s Special Education Task Force, which serves to engage, train and empower Los Angeles parents to take action in support of policies that directly impact their kids. Lisa also serves on LA Unified School District’s Community Advisory Committee and serves as an elected parent representative liaison between parents and administration at her kids’ LAUSD school.

Lisa joins me today to discuss why parents and specialist organizations have to be the union reps for differently-abled kids, how Lisa was inspired to be an advocate, and her work at Speak Up. She shares her thoughts on the lawsuit brought against the LAUSD for failing to meet the needs of children with special education needs by not providing in-person learning. Lisa also shares why morale is currently flagging for parents of different learners in LA, and what's next up for Speak Up.


“We have to keep looking towards our kids' ability and approach them through that lens and raise awareness for everyone else; there's so much ability in (dis)Ability.” - Lisa Mosko


This week on The Different Learners Podcast:

●Why Lisa had to advocate so hard for her own children to have things that should be their right
●What Lisa means by becoming a change agent for kids with (dis)Abilities
●Why Lisa got involved with the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) overseeing Special Education Local Plan and why it has been such a fascinating organization to be part of
●What’s next for the Learning Rights Law Centre and Alliance for Children's Rights and how Lisa is working collaboratively to help stop children from falling behind in their education
●Why Lisa feels that the Teachers Union have been the best advocates for students with disabilities
●What Lisa is hearing from higher need kids and parents right now
●How we should refer to kids with special needs and the term that Lisa prefers
●The power of organized advocating and what people power has achieved during the pandemic


Resources Mentioned:

●Learning Rights Law Center
●Alliance for Children's Rights
●WritesLaw
●Understood.org

Connect with Lisa Mosko:

●Speak Up
●Lisa Mosko on LinkedIn
●Speak Up on Facebook
●Speak Up on Instagram
●Speak Up on Twitter


Connect with Different Learners:

●Different Learners
●Different Learners on Instagram