Special education and Section 504 advocates for Duval County Public Schools families in Jacksonville.
3 based in Florida · 3 virtual advocates who work with Florida schools
An advocate is a paid professional who reads the evaluation reports, drafts your concerns, sits beside you at the IEP table, and follows up on whatever the school agreed to do.
Parents in Jacksonville usually start looking for an advocate when a meeting is already on the calendar.
During a Jacksonville IEP meeting an advocate writes down what the team agrees to and asks for it in the document before anyone leaves the room.
Duval County Public Schools keeps progress data on every goal in the plan. Ask for it as a table of dates and numbers rather than a paragraph.
No advocate in this directory lists Jacksonville as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of Florida, and each card names the city.
Based in Wesley Chapel, FL
Special Education Advocate
With 24 years of experience in the K-12 sector, I serves as a Student Support Specialist specializing in academic and behavioral ESE services.
Based in Leesburg, FL
CEO IEP Advocate Espanol
Evelyn Roman-Santos is a bilingual Special Education Advocate with 30 years of experience as a School Social Worker.
Based in Hialeah, FL
Advocate
I look forward to helping families and their students get the crucial support they need. I have varied experience working with families and educators at the state and local levels.
These advocates are not based in Florida. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Cumming, GA · works with Florida schools
Founder
I raised three children with special needs, so I know what it’s like to sit in an IEP meeting and feel like no one is listening.
Virtual · based in Portland, OR · works with Florida schools
Experienced Special Education Advocate & Former District Administrator
Chelsea Venegas, M.Ed., is the Founder & Special Education Advocate at Access & Bloom. A former special education teacher, school administrator, and district leader, she supports families with IEPs,…
Virtual · based in Kansas City, MO · works with Florida schools
Navigate Special Education with Clarity and Confidence - Guiding Families. Building Futures.
Dr. Diane is a special education advocate and founder of Steppingstone Services, LLC. She holds a Ph.D.
Duval County Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most Jacksonville students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Buildings do not fund services and districts do. Ask which office is deciding before you spend a meeting arguing with the wrong one.
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
Once you sign consent for testing, a Florida district has 60 calendar days to finish an initial evaluation, and that clock does not stop because a case manager is out or the file went to the wrong building.
Bring the last two report cards and the current plan. That is usually enough paper to start.
Florida gives a school district 60 calendar days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 30 days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, which takes written state complaints from parents.
Florida does not license or certify special education advocates. Anyone in Jacksonville can print a card with the word advocate on it.
A certificate says nothing about Duval County Public Schools. Ask instead what the advocate has filed there and what came back.
Advocates are not attorneys. No advocate in Jacksonville can file a lawsuit for you or give you legal advice about the case.
Duval County Public Schools answers to the parent on the paperwork, so an advocate can draft the letter and you still have to be the one who sends it.
Rates and openings decide most of this. An advocate who cannot meet before your Jacksonville meeting date is the wrong hire, and the second-best advocate who is free this month usually beats the best one who is not.
Ask for two references from cases like yours. Somebody who cannot produce one has not worked many.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Jacksonville, Florida, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What is the hourly rate for a parent advocate?
Flat fees are common for a single meeting and hourly billing is common for everything else. Many advocates give a free first call. Nobody bills you through this site, so ask each person how they invoice.
Does Duval County Public Schools cover every Jacksonville address?
Most Jacksonville families work with Duval County Public Schools. Charter and magnet enrollment can change which agency owes the service, so ask that question before the first meeting.
Does Jacksonville have a good special education program?
The state publishes a district report every year. In the latest one Duval County Public Schools met 46 of 65, and the link sits with the district facts on this page.
How do I know where an advocate actually works from?
No advocate is listed in every town, and each card here says where that person lives. Somebody who knows the state rules and has an opening this month usually beats the nearest name on the list.
What should I have ready before the first call with an advocate?
Bring the current IEP or 504 plan, the most recent evaluation report, the last two progress reports and any email where the school said no. An advocate who has those before the call can tell you what is missing in ten minutes.
Official Florida links for parents in Jacksonville.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Florida rules apply in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg and the other cities listed here, or see every Florida advocate.
Search is free. You contact advocates directly.
Two questions sort most of this out. What would you do first with this file, and what does that cost.
