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The Advocate
Hi, I'm Michele
I am a Non-Attorney Special Education Advocate with six years of experience supporting disabled learners ages 3 and up at school. I believe every child deserves a free appropriate public education and I’m here to help you access one for yours.
Parent of Two Disabled Learners COPAA Trained Neuro-Affirming Child Centered Collaborative Data Driven
My Path to Advocacy
Six years ago it became apparent that my children were struggling at school. I did what any parent would do–I reached out to their teachers and medical providers for help. Quickly, it became apparent that my children learned differently than others and would require Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) to grow academically, behaviorally, and socially in school. After some time, despite their IEPs, it was evident that they weren’t making expected progress. I hired an advocate and everything changed. We re-evaluated, refined the IEP, and, for the first time, they improved. I began to feel hopeful.
Working with an advocate was an incredible learning experience. I learned how to navigate school procedures to help my children. I discovered what meaningful progress monitoring looked like. And perhaps most importantly, I learned how to communicate effectively with school staff. I gained confidence and learned to trust my perception of my children’s experience. When I was overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do she was there for as much support and guidance as I needed. As time went on, I was inspired to learn more and began training with Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA). Now I am helping others as she helped me.
The chops
Experience
My full professional resume can be found here
- 6 years experience advocating for children with disabilities and learning differences across the U.S
- Certificate: COPAA Special Education Advocacy Training 1.0 (SEAT 1.0)
- Certificate: COPAA Special Education Advocacy Training 2.0 (SEAT 2.0)
- 70+ hour practicum with the School Law Center in Stillwater, MN
- Former Registered Nurse with school nursing and public health nursing experience
- Former EFM of the U.S. Foreign Service with experience living in 3 different countries and 4 different American cities
What I bring to the IEP table
Collaboration
Data-Driven Decision Making
Neuro-Affirming Language
Substantive Progress MOnitoring
Want to know more?
Check out these additional resources for more information about special education advocacy and how to work with Verdance Advocacy.