Special education and Section 504 advocates for NOLA Public Schools (Orleans Parish School Board) families in New Orleans.
3 virtual advocates who work with Louisiana schools
An IEP advocate goes to school meetings with you and argues for services your child is not getting.
New Orleans is the largest city in Louisiana. Size has nothing to do with how well a district runs its IEP meetings, and a small district with one experienced case manager often does better than a large one.
During a New Orleans IEP meeting an advocate writes down what the team agrees to and asks for it in the document before anyone leaves the room.
NOLA Public Schools (Orleans Parish School Board) keeps progress data on every goal in the plan. Ask for it as a table of dates and numbers rather than a paragraph.
These advocates are not based in Louisiana. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Harrisburg, PA · works with Louisiana schools
Special Education Advocate
I’m a special education teacher with experience supporting students with behavioral, intellectual, and learning needs.
Virtual · based in Bloomington, IL · works with Louisiana schools
Founder & Advocate
Jade is a former special education teacher who has taught everything from pre-k all the way to transition classrooms with students up to age 21.
Virtual · based in Philadelphia, PA · works with Louisiana schools
Educational Consultant
I began this journey because my own daughter was issued an IEP in 3rd grade. I didn't understand special education.
See all 26 virtual advocates who work with Louisiana families
NOLA Public Schools (Orleans Parish School Board) takes most New Orleans addresses, but not all of them. Check yours before you send a letter, because a request that lands in the wrong district office does not start the evaluation clock at all.
Buildings do not fund services and districts do. Ask which office is deciding before you spend a meeting arguing with the wrong one.
Almost every New Orleans public school is a charter that operates as its own local education agency, so IEP and Section 504 obligations sit with the individual school. Start with your child's school, and use NOLA Public Schools for authorizer-level complaints.
Federal law lets a state write its own evaluation deadline instead of using the national one. What Louisiana actually requires is 60 business days.
Bring the last two report cards and the current plan. That is usually enough paper to start.
Louisiana gives a school district 60 business days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 10 business days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Diverse Learners, which takes written state complaints from parents.
Attorneys are licensed. Advocates hold no license, and the difference matters most when a case gets close to a hearing, which is the point where the New Orleans district starts talking to its own lawyer.
A certificate says nothing about NOLA Public Schools (Orleans Parish School Board). Ask instead what the advocate has filed there and what came back.
Hiring an advocate does not pause a deadline or undo a meeting that already happened. The work starts from wherever the New Orleans file sits today.
NOLA Public Schools (Orleans Parish School Board) 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.
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Louisiana rules is usually a better hire for New Orleans than a local one who does 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 New Orleans, Louisiana, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much does an IEP advocate cost in New Orleans?
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.
Can an advocate join an IEP meeting by video?
Yes. IDEA, the federal special education law, requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows alternative means such as video or phone when you and the school agree. Your advocate does not have to live nearby.
Which school district serves New Orleans, Louisiana?
Most of the city sits inside NOLA Public Schools (Orleans Parish School Board). The district writes the plan and holds the special education budget, which is why a complaint about a missed service names the district and not the school.
Who decides a special education complaint in Louisiana?
Three routes stay open when you disagree. Mediation is voluntary for both sides, a written state complaint is decided on the record by the Louisiana Department of Education, and a due process hearing takes evidence.
How do I prepare for an IEP meeting in New Orleans?
Write down the two things you want changed and bring the paperwork that shows why. Meetings run long when nobody in the room has decided what the ask is.
Official Louisiana links for parents in New Orleans.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
The same Louisiana rules apply in Shreveport, Metairie, Lafayette, Lake Charles and the other cities listed here, or see every Louisiana advocate.
Print the current IEP and bring it to the first call. Every advocate on the New Orleans list will ask for it.
Say the name of your school and NOLA Public Schools (Orleans Parish School Board) in the first message. That is enough for an advocate to know whether they can take the case.
