Education & Special Education

Fighting for Special Education

Students with disabilities have a legal right to a free and appropriate public education — but the gap between that legal guarantee and everyday reality is often enormous. Families face long delays for evaluations, inadequate IEP services, and pushback when they advocate for their children. Fatmata has fought these battles in courtrooms and administrative hearings for years.

On the County Council, she will use her expertise and authority to hold MCPS accountable, advocate for increased special education funding and staffing, and ensure families have the support and information they need to advocate for their children.

Protect Communities from Federal Education Cuts

Federal funding supports critical programs in Montgomery County schools — from Title I funding for low-income students, to IDEA funding for special education, to grants that support English language learners. Federal cuts threaten all of this.

Fatmata will fight to protect every dollar of federal education funding that Montgomery County families depend on, advocate loudly at the state and federal level, and push the county to find alternative funding sources if federal support is cut.

Champion Community Schools and Under-Resourced Communities

Too many schools in Montgomery County lack basic resources — adequate facilities, counselors, nurses, and enrichment programs. Meanwhile, resource disparities between schools in wealthier and lower-income communities continue to undermine educational equity.

Fatmata will champion the community schools model — where schools serve as hubs for families, offering wraparound services like health care, food access, and family support — and push for more equitable distribution of resources across the county.

Stand Up for Educators

Montgomery County schools are facing a teacher shortage driven by low pay, burnout, and inadequate support. Teachers cannot do their best work when they are overwhelmed, underpaid, and unsupported. Fatmata will fight for competitive compensation, better working conditions, and the resources educators need to serve students effectively.

Improve School Capacity Planning

Rapid residential development in some parts of the county has left schools overcrowded, while others face declining enrollment. Poor capacity planning affects educational quality, student experience, and community stability. Fatmata will push for smarter, more transparent school capacity planning that is coordinated with land use decisions and responsive to community input.

Why This Matters for Montgomery County

Education is the great equalizer — but only when it works for everyone. When we invest in every child, regardless of their zip code, disability status, or family income, we invest in the future of Montgomery County. Fatmata will never stop fighting for that promise.