Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. But for students with disabilities in America, that is an empty promise.

Special Education Leader Fellowship (SELF) is a national woman-led nonprofit with a vision to change systems that cause students with disabilities to consistently fall behind their peers in reading, graduation rates, college access, and long-term opportunity. National data shows that:

72% of 4th Grade students with disabilities scored the lowest level of literacy, almost 2X that of their non-disabled peers, and
Students with disabilities are suspended at 2X the rate of their peers.

These examples aren’t just statistics; they are children languishing with unlocked potential. This creates a moral imperative. All students deserve educators who are prepared, supported, and empowered to help them develop their talents to the fullest.

Even amid these stark disparities, SELF is helping schools rewrite what’s possible for students with disabilities. And, we see results:

In New Orleans, 90% of new special educators in our New SPED Teacher Fellowship returned for their second year of teaching, a rate not only higher than past retention rates for special education teachers, but also higher than the average for ALL teachers in New Orleans, strengthening a homegrown pipeline of excellent special educators.
Last year in Washington, DC, 100% of our partner schools reduced chronic absenteeism for their highest-needs students, and three out of four reduced suspension rates for SWDs.

We are a small nonprofit that fuels the growth of hundreds of educators and thousands of children a year.

That’s why for the last 10 years, our team of former teachers, principals, and district leaders, bringing more than 140 years of combined special education expertise, has worked in schools, shoulder-to-shoulder with educators and school leaders. We address the daily challenges facing students who often sit at the intersection of racial, economic, and geographic inequities.

What began in 2015 as a small but bold fellowship in New Orleans has grown into a national force for change, now reaching leaders, teachers, and school teams across multiple states. A simple belief drives our impact: when we invest in educators, we transform outcomes for ALL students. Today, we are entering a new chapter by inviting our supporters to step in at the very beginning.

This Giving Tuesday, we are launching SELF’s first-ever giving campaign, a moment fortified by a decade of proof and fueled by the urgency of need. Your engagement—whether through a donation, sharing our mission, or amplifying our voice—helps us build the next era of our work:

Early champions like you accelerate what’s possible: empowering educators, uplifting students, and igniting outcomes that change lives.
By growing our supporter base from the ground up, we’re laying the foundation for a more sustainable future, one where a community of allies stands with us to expand our reach and deepen our impact.

Your support will help SELF continue to push toward a future where every child, regardless of their learning profile, zip code, or circumstances, has the opportunity to flourish.

Together, we can expand our impact by reaching more than 300 teachers, 77 school leaders, and 20 system-level leaders a year.

Thank you for this opportunity to amplify the need for every school to ensure no learner’s needs go unseen or unsupported, so every child has a chance to learn and grow with confidence and dignity.

Join us today!

SELF’s Inaugural Giving Tuesday Campaign

By SELF | Special Education Leader Fellowship

SELF’s Inaugural Giving Tuesday Campaign

Empower learning with SELF on Dec 2nd! Make a gift, share our story, amplify our mission, and become an early ally in this next chapter of our work.