"Nancy Kisonak is a powerful advocate for families of children with special needs. I have had the pleasure of knowing Nancy as a colleague for nearly 14 years. Her knowledge of special education regulations, parent's rights, the evaluation process and 504 plan allows her to coach families to meet their children's educational needs. Nancy is a good listener, problem solver and communicator. Her heartfelt passion and professionalism creates a dialogue for positive outcomes for children, parents and school teams. You will not find a more qualified person to bring important conversations to the school table!"
-Ann Culkin
"I have had the pleasure to work with Nancy over the last several years and, because I was the first point of contact where we advocated, consulted and educated families, many parents knew and counted on Nancy’s expertise. Her skill set and experience were highly recognized by those she helped. In fact, several families only wanted to speak specifically with Nancy. One of the most impressive qualities that strike me about Nancy is her compassion and dedication to helping others. She shares her knowledge and also excels at brain storming options and ideas. I appreciate that Nancy is honest and hard working for the benefit of bringing change and a better footing in life to families with regard to their children. I am honored to continue an independent working relationship with Nancy around awareness in our new endeavors."
-Lori Mele
Vermont Special Ed Advocates
“Schools do not pro-actively provide information and parents are forced to self-educate and hope they are doing right by their child. Nancy has been an incredible resource. She knows more about the special education process than I could find on my own in a lifetime. Being a parent of a special needs child is challenging on its own. I felt like I had to fight for every single accommodation.
Having Nancy in the middle allows me to be the parent and step back and let her be the expert.”
-Shannon Hiltner
Vermont Special Ed Advocates
Testimonials
"Hired in May 2007 as a Family Support Consultant, Nancy Kisonak worked twenty hours per week on VFN's helpline until February 2016. She was well informed and dedicated to the helpline, providing accurate information to parents regarding their child's education and making sure that families were able to get the help they needed without waiting a long time for a call back. Families who worked with Nancy routinely commented that the support she provided them was extremely valuable and helpful. She was a compassionate and empathic listener and clearly cared deeply about the families she supported. In addition to her helpline work, Nancy met with families in person and occasionally attended school meetings with parents, helping them to navigate the complexities of the special education system...Families were always appreciative of the support she provided."
-Holly Brooks, VP of Operations
Vermont Family Network
“Nancy explains school lingo and communicates in a way that articulates parents needs.”
-Jeff Hiltner