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Johnson-Law also expressed a desire to organize and amplify the voices of Ward 8 parents, teachers, and education organizations who she say have been left out of education policy discussions. "I want to continue the work and make sure our families are okay and that they feel heard,” Johnson-Law said. “We can get more help when we have a broader community working together.” 

Local Mother Embarks on Anti-Bullying Crusade. Supported by local community action groups, Yolanda Corbett meets with Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School Administration to discuss bullying prevention. (Andrea Jones and LaJoy Johnson-Law- We, The Motherhood....

”You want to talk about chronic absenteeism, chronic tardiness, look at the students who have chronic conditions and how are we really assisting them. Children that have disabilities, they have doctor's appointments, they have therapeutic appointments, they may have days where they're not feeling well"

“I just really want folks to know that, like, how are families accessing education in the city?" Ward 8 parent LaJoy Johnson-Law said. "And how does that translate to transportation, whether it's by OSSE, Metro car, rail, parent, walking, like, whatever it may be, like, have you really sat down to look at all the mitigating factors that are actually going into this issue? Because how can you solve something and you haven't even you haven't .”

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“I think we all have to remember, kiddos are literally crossing the city to go to school,” said LaJoy Johnson Law. Law is the parent of a 7th-grade student with special needs. She drives her daughter to and from school daily, making the trip from Ward 8 to Ward 1. She said transportation is just one of the many factors that can cause a student to show up late to school, or not at all.

Meet LaJoy Johnson-Law. Her daughter Abria’s story of living with COPD is featured in ATS Patient Voices, Volume 12. The focus of the stories includes how mental health is impacted by lung disease. Please support the ATS Research Program to help children like Abria.

Below are just a few institutions, collected in consultation with Ward 8 resident and special-needs parent LaJoy Johnson-Law, that have been proven to help special-needs students of all ages.

"As a mother of a child with a disability, I know it is imperative to protect our youths and their future. We can do this by implementing a bold vision for educational excellence by providing equitable funding for both sectors, requiring all elementary educators to receive structured literacy training to strengthen how children are taught to read and supporting all educators through mental health services and higher compensation".

LaJoy Johnson-Law, a Ph.D. candidate in Washington, D.C., calls her daughter Abria a “miracle baby.” Abria was born at 23 weeks, at 1 pound, 6 ounces — a tiny little warrior with everything stacked against her. They live in Ward 8, an area housing mostly Black residents, many of whom are low-income. In 2015, the D.C. Department of Health ranked Ward 8 with the highest rates of asthma among adults.  

“If we can’t give them the basics, how are they supposed to learn? You can’t learn if you’re hungry,” Johnson-Law said. “I do see it as an intersectionality approach to get kids back in school and to let students know this is another resource. This is just another layer to remove another form of barrier.” LaJoy Johnson-Law, a parent advocate who ran for the Ward 8 seat on the D.C. State Board of Education in 2020...

LaJoy Johnson-Law is a DC parent of a middle school student who attends E.L. Haynes PCS. E.L. Haynes has been outstanding and supportive of our transition to middle school and E.L. Haynes. I’ve seen in-depth collaboration between my daughter’s E.L. Haynes’ team and her elementary school team. A team member of her elementary school team attended her IEP meeting before we even started at E.L. Haynes, which is the in-depth collaboration we need as students transition between schools.

LaJoy Johnson-Law, parent, Ward 8 resident, and parent advocate at Advocates for Justice and Education (AJE), joins the Education Town Hall to discuss issues for schools in Ward 8 and citywide. Topics included students as stakeholders, treating feedback as more than “check the box” exercises, budgets, relationships of DCPS and DC Public Charter Schools, homeschooling, and much more.

"My daughter and I are the dynamic duo. She is my miracle baby. She is not only surviving but thriving. As a proud single mom, it is important to have the village. Every child deserves an opportunity to attend a school with a community of people committed to their success. Every child deserves a school that will help their individual needs to be successful. Families deserve the right to make a choice that is best for their child and their family".

LaJoy and her daughter Abria Law attend the White House highlight of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). A digital equity program to help close the digital divide and provide families across the country to get families and students connected digitally.

In this final episode of The Friends of Oxon Run Podcast, LaJoy Johnson-Law stops by to join LaHannah and Elijah to discuss the necessity for relationships between advocacy organizations, schools, and the community.

That was the case for Abria Law, according to her mother, LaJoy Johnson-Law. The elementary school student has an Individualized Education Plan that says she needs occupational therapy and physical therapy, among other services. But she only received a paperwork packet that she was expected to complete on her own during quarantine, said Law, a parent support specialist with Advocates for Justice and Education, a group that serves students with disabilities.

The case study specifically explored the lives of LaJoy Johnson-Law and her daughter, Abria, who joined the workshop. LaJoy is a Ward 8 resident whose beautiful 9-year old daughter, Abria, was born extremely premature at 23 weeks and 1 pound 6 ounces. LaJoy and Abria joined the case study simulation to afford the participants with an alternative perspective: that of the family and the patient.

As a parent, protecting your children is one of your main priorities. Hear from this strong Ward 8 mom, LaJoy Johnson-Law, who committed to saving her then preemie baby’s life, and learn how she made the bold decision to get vaccinated to protect the health of her daughter.

Since LaJoy Johnson-Law gained access to the internet in her home last year, life has completely changed for her and her 8-year-old daughter, Abria. "When the internet was set up and working, it felt amazing. It felt like we were connected with the world. It was also a sense of relief because [not having internet] had been a point of stress," said Johnson-Law. 

LaJoy Johnson Law....a 32 year-old single mother and Parent Support Specialist for Advocates for Justice and Education (AJE) spent the eight months during the pandemic in a campaign to represent Ward 8 on the State Board of Education (SBOE)...At the same time, she was working at her full-time job alongside her daughter Abria, 9, as the latter attended virtual fourth-grade classes from Rocketship Prep Academy.

When the coronavirus pandemic struck unexpectedly earlier this year, households across the country, regardless of geography or income levels, needed to quickly pivot to a world that was moving almost exclusively online. LaJoy is a disability advocate, and a busy single mother with a special needs child of her own. She knows firsthand how important representation is for the special needs community

"We call for you to acknowledge that Ward 8 students are equitably accounted for. Many of the asks today are for a reinstatement of funds cut from the budget, and these cuts disproportionately impact Ward 8 communities. How can we claim to care for Ward 8 when we’ve made such cuts? It’s time that we rectify these oversights by implementing the following asks.."

As a “proud single mom” to an 8 year old with multiple disabilities, LaJoy Johnson-Law understands the complexities of navigating D.C.’s health and education systems. This first-hand knowledge has helped Johnson-Law in her role as a parent support specialist at Advocates for Justice and Education. I love the fact that I am a mom, period. It is a miracle that I am a mom. My daughter was born at 23 weeks weighing 1 pound, 6 ounces.

“There is going to be a loss of instruction. We have to deal with the reality of the situation,” said Johnson-Law, who also works as an advocate for students with disabilities. “Parents are always our kids’ first teachers, but I don’t think that’s going to take the place of what they get at school. "

Listen to LaJoy share some honest reflections and helpful guidance for parents of children who have complex medical conditions. LaJoy is both an applicant and an advisor, and we’re grateful to collaborate with her and the organization where she works, Advocates for Justice and Education (AJE).

This is especially so for parents of students with disabilities, who already it find it difficult to determine how public funds are spent on resources such as special education teachers, books, specific learning material and specialists.