Dr. Shabana Parvez, MD, FACEP, US Bureau Chief of The Desi Buzz and founder of ArlingtonIntegrative.com, sat down for an exclusive interview with Sana Tariq, a dedicated advocate for diverse learners and a leader in equitable education. As the Director of Diverse Learners (Special Education) for Summit Public Schools CMO, serving California and Washington, and the Founder of Equity in Education Consulting, Sana brings over 12 years of experience in shaping inclusive education systems. Passionate about driving strategic initiatives that promote equitable access within culturally responsive frameworks, she continues to be a voice for students with diverse learning needs.
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Watch the interview on YouTube
Introduction and Background
Dr Shabana Parvez: Welcome to The Desi Buzz Talk Show, Sana! To start, could you tell us about your journey—what inspired you to pursue a career in education, and specifically in special education?
Sana Tariq: Thank you for having me!
I was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and immigrated to the United States when I was twenty. When I moved here, I didn’t know that every child here had the right to FAPE- and that blew my mind. Growing up in PK, I witnessed how access to education created stark wealth disparities. This was something I reflected deeply on- even as a child. I believe this awareness, even as a child, was the result of my family’s philanthropic work in education in Pakistan and in India. It gave me a deep appreciation for education’s transformative power and the challenges of illiteracy. This understanding of education’s transformative power now drives my work as both an educator and advocate, helping families navigate the system to unlock their children’s potential
All that being said, I never planned to be a teacher. I came to the US with a full scholarship for accounting. Fast fwd. many years later, I fell in love with teaching while volunteering in my son’s classroom as science docent- and here we are!
Why special education: I was a very mischievous student and I found I could connect authentically with struggling learners. I understood the root of their behavior- and that helped me build judgment-free relationships with them, which then earned their trust and enabled their learning and success – which then created a positive cycle of achievement and confidence building
Dr Shabana Parvez: You’ve been in the field of education for over a decade. How did your early experiences as a teacher shape your approach to leadership and systems building?
Sana Tariq: I’ve been an educator for 20 years this summer and being in the classroom still feeds my soul. There’s something about the beauty of watching a child learn- that first spark of AHA! Which then builds confidence in their own capability, that is truly magical. Today, everything that makes me an effective leader and student advocate, I learned in the classroom.
- Respect is everything: If we can’t truly accept people for who they are and support them in recognizing their own abilities, no progress will be made. This is true for children and this is true for adults.
- Start with the end in mind and map backwards. Whether we are working with student learning, or a systems overhaul- Know where you want to go, why its important and then- get as succinct and detailed as possible to craft your plan.
- Proceed with high expectations and high support- students or adults who look to you for leadership also expect mentorship, coaching and capacity building. In order to facilitate that, we never want to over help- that sends the message that we don’t trust in the other person’s ability and we don’t want to under help- because that sets up ppl for failure. So, it’s this constant dance of leaning in and stepping back which one learns really well in the classroom.
- Finally, to be a successful leader, you have to build trust, consensus and momentum towards the ‘why’ of what you’re trying to accomplish. If people- students and adults, see the value of what you’re trying to move forward, they will walk with you and they will create their own buzz and momentum.
Career and Leadership
Dr Shabana Parvez: As the Director of Special Education at Summit Public Schools, what does your role entail, and what are your key priorities in ensuring equitable access and inclusion for all students?
Sana Tariq: My role as Director of Special Education really centers on ensuring every student can access their education meaningfully – something that resonates deeply with me given my background in Pakistan where I saw firsthand how educational access shapes lives. I focus on creating a truly level playing field, where students aren’t just physically present but have genuine entry points to engage with learning at their level.
A key priority for me is leveraging technology, now particularly, leveraging AI, to build personalized supports. I’m excited about teaching students to use these tools not just as accommodations, but as genuine enhancers of their unique abilities. For example, if a student struggles with writing but has brilliant ideas, we might use AI-powered tools to help them express their thoughts more efficiently. It’s about amplifying their strengths, not just compensating for challenges.
The real magic happens when students start to own these tools and strategies – when they discover how technology can help them showcase their capabilities in ways that traditional methods might have missed. Just like I connected with struggling learners in my early teaching days, I now work to ensure our entire special education program creates those same judgment-free spaces where students can thrive and- in my advocacy work, leaning in when those systems are not working they way they should be
Dr Shabana Parvez: You’ve worked extensively with IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) compliance. Why are these frameworks so important, and how do they impact the lives of students with diverse learning needs?
Sana Tariq: Having grown up in a country where educational rights were not guaranteed- especially for neuro diverse learners, I have a profound appreciation for IDEA and FAPE. These aren’t just legal frameworks – they’re powerful declarations that every child- every single child- deserves access to quality education. It’s a fundamental right, not a privilege.
In my advocacy work especially, I help families understand and leverage these crucial legal frameworks to ensure their children receive the education they deserve.
and in my systems work, I use the frameworks as the foundational pillars of how we support our students at Summit because when we properly implement these frameworks, we’re not just checking boxes for compliance; we’re opening doors and creating pathways for students to showcase their unique abilities and perspectives.
Neurodiversity can be both a remarkable gift and a significant challenge, especially when navigating an educational system that wasn’t originally designed with diverse learners in mind and FAPE’s guarantee of Appropriate Education is revolutionary – it says we must adapt the system to meet students where they are, not the other way around.
At the end of the day, what makes these frameworks truly powerful is their recognition that different doesn’t mean deficient. It’s really about equity in its purest form
Dr Shabana Parvez: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in leading special education programs, and how have you overcome them?
Sana Tariq: The biggest challenge I’ve consistently faced isn’t about student capabilities – it’s about shifting adult mindsets. Just because someone struggles with conventional learning methods doesn’t mean they can’t learn. It’s like that famous quote about judging a fish by its ability to climb a tree – we’re missing the point entirely.
As I consider different approaches to education, what’s become crystal clear is that we need to adjust our perspective to student capability and provide the right conditions. When we do that, we often discover that students we thought were ‘struggling’ are actually quite brilliant – they just process and demonstrate their knowledge differently.
Finally, in overcoming these challenges, I’ve focused on showing rather than telling. When skeptical adults see a student flourish once given the right tools and environment, it challenges their preconceptions in a way that no amount of theoretical discussion ever could and that builds its own momentum and buzz within the school site.
Innovation in Education
Dr Shabana Parvez: You’ve been a Special Education Consultant since 2018. What are some innovative strategies or programs you’ve introduced to improve outcomes for students with diverse learning needs?
Sana Tariq: My work in special education transformation happens on two fronts. In schools, I’ve pushed for co-teaching and co-planning models, bringing general and special educators together around core curriculum. So that we’re focused onbringing support to students, not pulling them out of their learning environment. We’re actually presenting some of this work at the CCSA conference in Sacramento next month. In addition, I’ve really focused on changing how we think about assessment and grading. Instead of penalizing the learning process, we grade for mastery and monitor learning daily. This is systems work I’ve been able to launch at multiple site.
It’s should no longer be about ‘teach and hope kids get it’ – we catch understanding gaps as they happen and adjust in real time. When teachers create opportunities for incremental success and truly understand their students’ learning, we see double-digit growth for ALL students, not just those who traditionally struggle. That’s universal design for learning in action – improving access for some, improves access for everyone.
The other piece of my work is parent advocacy, helping families navigate our educational system to partner effectively with school teams. It’s about ensuring students access their education in the most inclusive way possible. Fun fact- one of my clients just published a book called “Navigating Autism” You can find it on Amazon- where she called out our partnership in her journey as a parent navigating our systems. So that was pretty cool!
These family-school partnerships make all the difference and the impact of strong advocacy cannot be underestimated.
Dr Shabana Parvez: What advice would you give to aspiring educators and leaders who want to make a difference in the field of special education?
Sana Tariq: The most critical thing I’ve learned is that all students have capabilities – full stop. But often, students with disabilities have received direct or indirect messaging that they’re somehow ‘less than,’ leading them to distrust both themselves and the adults in their lives. This is what we need to dismantle and where the real work begins.
The secret isn’t really a secret at all: when students experience success, even small wins, their confidence grows. When their confidence grows, they take more risks in their learning. When they take more risks, they achieve more success. It’s a positive cycle that builds on itself, but it has to start with that foundation of trust and understanding of student capabilities.
Personal Insights and Passions
Dr Shabana Parvez: Outside of your professional work, what drives your passion for education and advocacy for students with diverse learning needs?
Sana Tariq: What really drives me is seeing beyond the labels. Too often, neurodiverse students get mischaracterized as lazy, problematic, or unmotivated. But in my experience, these same students often have extraordinary gifts that just need the right environment to emerge.
What gets me up every morning is helping students discover not just their gifts, but what success looks like for them personally. It’s about building a path toward meaningful careers and financial stability – because everyone deserves that opportunity. In my advocacy work, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching a student who’s been misunderstood suddenly find their stride and start building toward their future.
Dr Shabana Parvez: How do you balance the demands of your leadership role with your personal life, and what do you do to recharge and stay motivated?
Sana Tariq: You know, I’m not sure ‘balance’ is quite the right word because I genuinely love what I do – it’s hard for me to turn it off! But I do find joy in being a homebody. Our house is always full of life, with people coming in and out, and I absolutely love cooking and feeding everyone who walks through our door.
Family is central to everything. I cherish time with my sons – they’re 27 and 23 now – and my husband. Being one of four sisters, we’ve kept that close connection that just adds another layer of richness to life. Between the work I am privileged to do, our family gatherings, snowboarding in winter, hiking in summer, and spending time with friends, my heart is pretty full.
Closing
Dr Shabana Parvez: Finally, Sana, what message would you like to share with the audience of The Desi Buzz Talk Show about the importance of education?
Sana Tariq: As someone who’s witnessed education’s transformative power across continents, I can tell you this with absolute certainty: education is the great equalizer. But what I’ve learned, especially in my work with hundreds of families, is that success doesn’t always follow the traditional paths we immigrants often cling to.
Our children are growing up in a world that’s radically different from ours. They’re more self-aware, more innovative, and often have insights into their own learning that we need to trust
I see this daily in my advocacy work – when we understand and support our children’s unique ways of learning, they don’t just succeed, they soar. If your child isn’t getting what they need from their educational experience, don’t struggle alone. The system can be navigated, barriers can be overcome, and your child’s potential can be unleashed.
This is what I do, this is what I’m passionate about, and this is why I’m here to help our community thrive.
