Parents as Partners: Exploring the Experiences of Teachers of Students with Disabilities.

This article examines the experiences of teachers of students with disabilities in partnering with their students' parents, as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990, reauthorized in 2004 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Through qualitative interviews with ten certified special education teachers, four key themes emerged: a desire to be trusted by parents, managing the emotional paradox of not taking criticism personally while valuing positive feedback, striving to access empathy for parents’ challenges, and a significant lack of professional training and administrative support in parent collaboration. The study highlights that while teachers value parent partnerships, inadequate preparation and support hinder effective collaboration, suggesting a need for targeted professional development and greater involvement of school social workers to improve these relationships. These findings have implications for enhancing educator training and administrative practices to better support teachers, parents, and students with disabilities.