Who is The Arc?

The Arc was founded in 1950 from a grassroots movement of families working to create services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). With more than 600 state and local chapters across the country, The Arc is the oldest and largest organization advocating for and serving people with IDD.
Learn more about The Arc.

Find a chapter of The Arc in your area.

What is The Arc@School?

Since its founding, The Arc has advocated for students with IDD to have access to educational supports and services. The Arc was a driving force in the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975, which required schools to educate all students with disabilities for the first time. The Arc@School is The Arc’s newest initiative in special education. The mission of The Arc@School is to build the capacity of our nationwide network of chapters to provide individual advocacy that helps students with IDD and their families navigate the special education system. The Arc@School is available to chapter staff for technical assistance, training, and resources on special education advocacy.

As part of its program planning, The Arc@School conducted an investigation of existing special education advocacy practices. The investigation included a scan of academic research journals for articles on special education advocacy, identification of existing advocacy training programs, conversations with key special education advocacy stakeholders, and outreach to special education advocates in The Arc’s chapter network.  The investigation report identifies a list of recommendations, which form the basis for The Arc@School’s current efforts.

The Arc@School Team

Dr. Kimberley Crutcher is a strategic K–12 special education leader with deep expertise in designing, implementing, and scaling programs that improve outcomes for students with disabilities in K-12 public school systems. With professional experiences spanning classroom instruction, district-level leadership, and school-based administration, she brings a systems-level perspective to advancing equitable, high-quality educational opportunities for K-12 students with disabilities.

Prior to joining The Arc US, Kimberley served as the Director of Exceptional Children at a public charter school, where she led comprehensive special education programming. Her experience also includes serving as a district-level administrator and district-level instructional support staff, where she partnered with school leaders and educators to strengthen instructional practices, improve service delivery, and drive continuous improvement across schools. In addition to her K–12 leadership roles, Kimberley has contributed to the field as an adjunct professor and facilitator of professional learning, equipping educators with practical, research-based strategies to better serve diverse learners. Kimberley’s leadership is grounded in a commitment to educational equity, data-informed decision-making, and scalable impact.

Dr. Crutcher holds master’s degrees in Special Education and School Administration. In 2022, she earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership, with a concentration in Educational Administration, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.