Community Advocate

Brand New Congress is a post partisan movement. When people are placed before party, the ability to reach across the aisle and appeal to all voters is strengthened.

Our current political leaders follow individuals and support policies that they know are detrimental to society, but they do so in the names of party, self interest, and special interests. There are policies that are universal, that no matter party affiliation, all Americans care about. Economic policies, defense policies, education policies, and criminal justice policies are all policies that cross partisanship.

As constituents and leaders, we do not have to agree on everything, but I recognize the importance of not labeling each other because of those disagreements. When individuals are labeled, we often become defensive and shut down, eliminating the ability to compromise or grow. We have to remember that the majority of Americans both Democratic and Republican are working class and do not belong to the top 1%!

A sense of mutual respect and collaboration are essential when negotiating with school districts on behalf of vulnerable children. First and foremost, it is important to approach any disputes with civility and calm. Recommendations from outpatient clinicians and evaluators should be thoughtfully written and all documentation should be provided to the school district in advance of any meetings. Surprises should be avoided at Team meetings; agendas should be clarified in advance; conversations and meetings should be followed up with notes of appreciation. This is typically impossible for parents to accomplish alone because every conversation about the suffering of one’s own child is painful and stressful, compromising any parent’s ability to think clearly or objectively about what to say, how to say it, when to say something and when to remain silent. These are the instincts that a skilled advocate can bring to the process.

School districts are required to conduct educational testing but not neuropsychological testing. Parents who wish to have more detailed assessments therefore seek independent assessments. For students with social/emotional disabilities, I believe that neuro-pspychological testing with projectives is a valuable means of connecting all the dots between a students neurology (brain wiring), psychology (emotions), and functionality (socially, emotionally and behaviorally as well as academically and cognitively in school and in the community).

Independent evaluations are not legally binding on school districts, but must be considered. Parents are well advised to select an evaluator who can participate as an expert witness should any dispute rise to the level of formal appeals. If the evaluator also available to attend Team meetings on the student’s behalf and observe the student in school, they become an active and ongoing member of the Team, engaged and available to answer questions and offer informed opinions, which can meaningfully impact the outcome of discussions and potentially resolve disputes without need for formal appeals.

Every student is entitled to a free appropriate public education. All states are governed by the federal Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) which establishes a baseline of procedures and protections. If a state’s laws and regulations are more stringent, the state regulations prevail. This is the case in Massachusetts. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website provides information for parents about the special education process, regulations, and policies with which school districts must comply. The Federation for Children with Special Needs and the Special Needs Advocacy Network offer information and training for parents and advocates alike.

Because this is not a credentialed profession, we all come to advocacy from idiosyncratic backgrounds. My path to advocacy was a bit circuitous. I put myself through college (which took ten years) as a family law paralegal, so I have been comfortable thinking about things through the legal lens since I was 18. I studied English in college and got a teaching certificate so my path into education was pretty straightforward. I taught secondary school English for about 3 years in various schools getting laid off from each one at the end of the year because of budget cuts related to the passing of Proposition 2 1/2 in 1980.

I spent a about a year as a Victim Witness Advocate in the Framingham District Court and subsequently worked for the now defunct state agency Office for Children as the Child Advocate/Coordinator covering the South Shore for the duration of the 1980’s. When OFC was being dismantled, I was laid off yet again, and went to work at Westwood as the After-Care Coordinator for the child and adolescent population (effectively the in house Child Advocate) for most of the 1990’s.

My work at Westwood was an invaluable “graduate degree” in clinical assessment and discharge planning including a window into the world of negotiations with insurance companies. When managed care kicked in, I was laid off again and went into private advocacy around 1998. Hence, the focus of my practice in advocacy for children and adolescents with psychiatric disabilities and histories of hospitalizations (or risk of hospitalization).

Crimson, like so many other tech companies has a young work force. As we are growing, it is a high priority to identify career tracks so we can invest in and keep you. We already had someone from support join advocacy and the expectation is that after a year you could become a customer success manager, join the professional services team as an analyst, go into support, or move to another department. Advocacy is also growing and you can stay with the team, become really good at it, and make the leap to become a manager or go to another company.

On a personal note, mentoring is the most enjoyable part of my work. This is an important decision for you. I know we will ask for references, and as this is an entry level position don't be afraid to ask if you could speak to a person who used to work for me or any hiring manager.

A 504 Plan is a plan of accommodations provided to students under the Americans with Disabilities Act. An IEP is provided under IDEA for students whose needs cannot be met by accommodations alone and who require specialized instruction or related services. An IEP is substantially more protection for an individual student because under an IEP, the school district cannot unilaterally terminate services without notice or parental consent. In addition, under federal law pertaining to IEPs, if there is a dispute about the services in the IEP, the student “stays put” in the last agreed upon program and placement during the pendency of the dispute. These are invaluable protections which cannot be underestimated and which 504 Accommodation Plans do not carry.

Districts are required to provide all students with a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Students on IEPs are entitled to FAPE as well as whatever services they require to make “meaningful educational progress.”

This does not mean that people of good faith and intelligence always agree about whether an individual child is receiving an appropriate education or making meaningful progress. The essential protection of special education law, however, is the entitlement to a dialogue. School districts cannot decline communicate with parents and parents are entitled to participate in the decision-making process. However, all parties are free to disagree and to have their concerns heard in increasing formal forums offered by the state.

The biggest issue we are facing is inequality. Our current political leaders are placing special interests, self interests, and party interests before the people of the state.

Illinois residents are struggling to afford a home. They struggle with the under-funding of public schools and the lack of investment in urban communities. They struggle with gentrification, with a divide between police and community, with wages, with lack of small business support, and with high crime in particular areas.

I believe the most important way I can help is by placing the people first. By fighting for policies and engaging in actions nationally and locally that address the root causes of issues and does not simply treat symptoms for my personal benefit. By investing in people and all communities, we will not only create change, but also hold other politicians accountable, no matter their party.

The short answer is when a public school cannot meet the student’s needs with in-house support services, that is the time to think about outside placements. However, because outside placements remove a student from their home school and are therefore more “restrictive” placements (as opposed to the “least restrictive environment” which is the school district’s obligation to provide), as well as being costly, these decisions are approached with great care by school districts. Consultation with and testing (as well as a school-based observation) by an independent evaluator is often necessary to obtain the information needed to determine whether an outside placement is required. Again because even intelligent people of good will can hold opposing views, these decisions are not made lightly or quickly.