Our Story
Distributed Education Advocacy (DEA) was born from personal experience, professional expertise, and one simple belief:
Every child deserves to be seen, heard, understood, and provided the support they need to succeed.
Before founding DEA, Kerriann Harrington experienced the educational system from nearly every perspective. She is a parent, a special education teacher, an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) staffing specialist, and an educational advocate. Each role provided a different understanding of how educational decisions are made—and how easily families can become overwhelmed by the process.
Like many parents, Kerri recognized early that her child was learning differently. Although she repeatedly requested additional support and evaluation, those concerns were not immediately addressed. Despite her educational background, she found herself navigating a complex system that often felt confusing, frustrating, and difficult to access.
As her career progressed, her understanding of special education deepened. She gained firsthand experience implementing IEPs in the classroom, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, staffing eligibility meetings, and supporting students with a wide range of learning needs.
Along the way, one realization became impossible to ignore:
If navigating the educational system was difficult with professional experience, how could families without that background be expected to do it alone?
That question became the foundation of DEA.
Today, DEA partners with families, educators, and schools to provide educational advocacy, psychoeducational evaluations, professional development, parent coaching, and educational workshops grounded in transparency, collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making.
DEA exists to reduce confusion, strengthen relationships, and ensure educational decisions remain focused where they belong—on the child.
Because every child deserves more than a seat at the table.
