Our highly trained staff is up-to-date on the latest in parent engagement, special education advocacy, and how schools in this state work. Each Parent Consultant takes part in a rigorous mentoring program designed to share information and develop skills that are essential in helping parents understand how to support their child’s learning.
Staff members at the Parent Information Center are selected for their exceptional skills and expertise related to parent engagement, advocacy, and support. Parent Consultants participate in regular trainings as related to special education, disabilities issues, general education, and technology. Our Parent Consultants understand the challenges of parenting, especially parenting children with disabilities, because they, too, are parents.
Meedra Surratte, M.Ed. - Executive Director Meedra is a community and education advocate serving students with disabilities and their families at PIC for over 15 years. Her area of focus lies in education and capacity building, particularly in the areas of special education, family engagement and/or strengthening sustaining partnerships between families and schools. She is committed to ensuring equity in education, representing the interests of students and families from our most undeserved communities. Meedra holds a B.A. in Organizational Dynamics and a Masters in Special Education. Meedra also serves as the aRPy Ambassador for Delaware, promoting awareness of evidenced based practices that improve outcomes for infants and toddlers. She represents the needs, concerns and interests of children with disabilities and their families on several statewide councils. Meedra previously served as education contributor to the Arthur J. Turner Jr. Scholarship Foundation, and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and an Educational Surrogate Parent for 10 years. Meedra is the proud parent of 3 girls, and grandparent of a granddaughter born in 2021.
"Through my work, my goal is to encourage, empower, and inform families about the special education process, and the importance of advocacy in education and community, specifically reaching underserved parents of children with disabilities and families with low Income and/or limited resources."
A proud Sussex County native, Mary began her career in 2002 as a Public Ally, dedicating 1,700 hours of community service to a local nonprofit. She then went on to serve as a Program Coordinator at Interfaith Mission, where she developed and led an after-school program to support youth development.
"Mary’s passion for advocacy is deeply personal. "Growing up as a child with a disability, I witnessed the challenges my mother faced to ensure I had the tools to succeed in school. I want to make sure every parent has the resources to advocate for their children, just as my mother did for me." When she’s not working, Mary cherishes time with her fabulous daughter and family. "
Samtra has always been passionate about youth and families and believes that by meaningfully engaging youth and families and empowering their leadership in education and the community, successful outcomes result. This passion fuels Samtra’s desire to use her voice not only for her own three children – including a young adult with a disability, but for others as well. Samtra has served as a classroom teacher, in numerous advocacy roles and on many councils and committees serving/representing youth and families. Samtra has also shared her voice and talents in pre-professional training and systems-change efforts. Samtra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and worked in a 15+ year career as a Process Engineer. Samtra brings all of these lived experiences to her role as Transition Coordinator.
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Darne’Jia provides support to families of children birth-8 who receive or may qualify for special education services. She is dedicated to contributing to a parent’s ability to learn and grow in their journey of effective advocacy for their children. Darne’Jia previously worked with adults with disabilities, and was drawn to her current position when her youngest son was diagnosed with multiple birth defects and disabilities. She brings a wealth of personal experience to the process of obtaining services and advocating for children.
Kathie ensures that eligible children in Delaware’s foster care system are appointed a trained and knowledgeable Educational Surrogate Parent (ESP) who acts as the foster child’s parent in the special education process. She delivers training, consultation and support to foster parents, community volunteers, educators and professionals regarding parental rights and special education regulations, as well as working closely with state agencies and school districts to ensure effective implementation of the program on behalf of foster children. Kathie holds a B.S., in Recreation & Park Administration, University of Delaware, M.S. in Management, Wilmington University.
"Children in foster care experience numerous challenges due to life altering and traumatic events. They deserve to have knowledgeable advocates ready to support them in school. Through my work, I hope to positively influence educational outcomes for children in foster care."
Arielle supports families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing, by offering education, information, and guidance. Originally trained in graphic design, her passion shifted focus when her profoundly deaf daughter was born in 2015. Her daughter's diagnosis led to Arielle's involvement in the deaf and hard of hearing community as she continued to be an advocate for her child. Arielle is a trained parent guide for Delaware Hands & Voices and has a great familiarity with early intervention services in the state of Delaware due to her daughter’s participation in several of them.
""I know firsthand how important a support system can be after a child's hearing loss diagnosis. I know the value of it, and the impact it has on our children's growth and prosperity.""
Jennifer Aaron is a Family to Family program consultant. Her role is to work with families who are seeking assistance in identifying available services related to special healthcare needs. Jenn has a professional history in mortgage banking, and has received Provisional Certification as a Family Support Provider. She enjoys vacationing with her family, swimming, and football.
Sandra has worked in Red Clay Consolidated School District in the Early Years Program for over 4 years. Sandra has over 20 years experience in customer service and is a Certified Medical Interpreter. Sandra also brings with her a background in social work with Division of Health and Social Services. She is passionate about assisting families advocate and learn about the resources available to them about the special education processes. Sandra assists parents and educators build healthy dynamics and support child/community/family development.
"“My goal is to provide a safe and empathetic environment while helping parents. I want to provide parents with access to resources and the support they will need to make educational decisions for their child/children. I am excited to be a part of PIC and to be a liaison in the community for our families and educators."
The Parent Information Center of Delaware is committed to providing access to our web pages for individuals with disabilities. The content of this site has been tested for usability and accessibility using a combination of standards-based, automated procedures and accepted heuristic methods. We make every effort to comply with the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Compliance is an ongoing process and we encourage notification when information on our website is inaccessible. If for any reason you are having difficulty accessing any of our resources please call us at (302) 999-7394 or email us at picofdel@picofdel.org.