Hi I guess I'm kicking this off!! Happy to have a space to connect with other advocates and families.
I'm a special education parent advocate based in Oregon, and I also work with families in other states on a case-by-case basis.
My story is... school psychologist for 16 years in Illinois, Oregon, and Washington. Started making an exit plan from public service a few years ago, and mulled over what I might like to do next. I realized I always really loved connecting with families and helping them to understand what was going on with our school plans. I've been a 504 case manager, general ed behavior intervention guru, and of course spent many years doing psychoeducational evaluations and leading teams through decisions about eligibility and services.
What I love about it:
helping families know what the school could and should be doing for their kids
coming in as a partner so the parent isn't alone on their side of the table
getting teams back on track - educators are swamped and sometimes it takes a gentle nudge to help them be their best selves
prepping with families so they know what to expect in meetings
flexible schedule so I can have more time for me and my fam
I'm happy to be here! Need help? Ask me.
