Valenta Wade is a veteran educator and passionate advocate for families navigating the special education system. With more than 20 years of experience in public education, Valenta has served as a teacher, instructional leader, and now as Manager of Testing and Data Systems for Richmond Public Schools, where she oversees student assessment, accountability, and data systems.

Valenta is the founder of Carry On and Succeed Family Services LLC, an organization

committed to empowering parents to become confident advocates for their children with

disabilities. She has published two essential guides for parents—“The IEP Parent Companion” and “The IEP Progress Monitoring Workbook”—which are used in workshops and trainings to demystify the IEP process and promote strong home-school collaboration.

Her passion is deeply rooted in personal experience. As a mother to a neurodiverse child,

Valenta understands both the emotional and practical challenges of navigating school systems.



She also leads “AUEsome Parents & Caregivers: Navigating Autism Together,” a life group

offering spiritual and educational support to families raising individuals with autism.

Whether she’s training educators, speaking at conferences, or sitting at the IEP table with

families, Valenta brings compassion, clarity, and courage to every interaction. Her mission is to help families carry on—and succeed.