Week 1 ECSE what we know and what we want to learn

I am still trying to catch up from the family's stomach flu last week.

What I know:  I have worked with persons who have disabilities for nearly 20 years now.  It has been my honor and privilege to be their aide/care giver, and friend.  It has been amazing to see how the field has changed in 47 years, literally being able to watch it from it's infancy, as I grew up with a disability, myself, but having a mom, who (ironically) was a school teacher who, blatantly refused to have me be part of the "system" as it was called at the time.  This provided two things, in retrospect:
1) the ability to have friends in and observe how the laws applied, from an "outsiders" point of view; and 2) Having to make individual adaptations, without the aide, trying to make things work without direct benefit of how these laws and regulations helped.  Either way, it is OK, I have especially  learned coming back to school since 2014, in Special Education (K-12), that this is where I am supposed to be, and apparently "without an 'official' diagnosis" (a long story, for another time).

What I would like to learn:  I would like to learn how policy is made, written, derived, and then implemented.  This has, truly, been a spiritual experience, the journey of these last, "wow", 7 years which have brought me here, towards both my goal and answer to prayer towards getting a Master's in Special Education.  There is always so much to learn.  Mom taught me a love for English as a living and breathing language with nuances, and mold and adaptability, to almost any circumstance.  Special Ed. has been noticing that same dynamic, on hyper-drive, watching as the drama unfolds, and being part of both the cast and crew, as it were.  I want to effect and make change-but not for me or my sake, for purpose of making this a better place (for my children, my son, and all of my friends who I have met and cherished through the years, to give them hope, safety, and a chance).  It is all work, but we need to be united in this effort, so that we can bring good things to pass.