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 IEP advocate goes to school meetings with you and argues for services your child is not getting.
Most of the work happens before anyone sits down in a Jacksonville conference room.
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.
Records live with Duval County Public Schools, not with the front office of one building, and a request addressed to the district gets a faster answer than one that is not.
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
Hello! 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’m Russell Lloyd, founder of YourChild.org, author, mentor, and special education advocate. I review the record, find the gaps, build the strategy, prepare the parent, and lead IEP meetings.
Virtual · based in Austin, TX · works with Florida schools
Educational Advocate
Chelsea Venegas is a special education advocate serving families in Austin, TX.
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 met 46 of 65 state special education indicators in the most recent Florida report.
District lines and city lines are not the same thing. A street can sit inside one city and be zoned to the district next door.
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
The deadline for finishing an initial evaluation in Florida is 60 calendar days. Put that date on your calendar the day the paperwork goes in.
Ask the Jacksonville team for the evaluation report before the meeting, not at it, because nobody reads a long report accurately while the rest of the team waits.
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.
Duval County Public Schools does not approve or bar advocates. Federal rules let a parent bring anyone with knowledge of the child to the meeting.
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.
Distance is a scheduling problem and not a legal one. Meetings run by video whenever the parent and the school both agree to it.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Jacksonville, Florida, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much does an IEP advocate cost in Jacksonville?
Most advocates on this directory charge $75 to $150 per hour. A standard cycle with two hours of prep and two hours in the meeting runs about $400. Travel and extra meetings cost more.
Which school district serves Jacksonville, Florida?
Duval County Public Schools runs the IEP meetings for most Jacksonville students. District lines and city lines are not the same, so confirm yours by address before you send a letter.
How many state indicators does Duval County Public Schools meet?
46 of 65 indicators met. Read that as a compliance signal rather than a rating, because a district can meet the indicator and still miss the service your child needs.
What records should I ask for before an IEP meeting?
Ask in writing and address it to the district rather than the front office. Schools have to let parents inspect the education records they keep, and inspection has to happen before the next IEP meeting.
Who decides a special education complaint in Florida?
Written complaints go to the Florida Department of Education. It decides on the paperwork rather than at a hearing, so dates and documents are what the decision turns on.
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.
Print the current IEP and bring it to the first call. Every advocate on the Jacksonville list will ask for it.
Two questions sort most of this out. What would you do first with this file, and what does that cost.
