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
Advocates get hired after a meeting goes badly, rarely before the first one, which is why most of them start by reading a file that already carries a year of history in it.
New Orleans parents tend to call at one of two moments. The first is before an initial evaluation and the second is after a service quietly disappears from the plan.
Paperwork is where cases are won or lost, and an advocate who has read every progress report in the file will find the sentence a New Orleans team wrote two years ago that contradicts what it is saying now.
Note what changed at home. Teachers see one room for one hour and parents see the rest of the day.
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 25 virtual advocates who work with Louisiana families
NOLA Public Schools (Orleans Parish School Board) runs the IEP meetings for most New Orleans students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
A Shreveport parent group can tell you how the same district handled a case like yours, which is worth more to read than a policy page.
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.
The clock that matters starts when you sign consent. In Louisiana it runs 60 business days.
Put the request in writing and date it. An email to the New Orleans school counts as writing.
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.
The Louisiana Department of Education oversees special education in Louisiana. It does not license the advocates parents hire.
Ask what training the advocate actually finished and who ran it. A one-day webinar and a two-year program both end in a certificate.
Advocates do not decide complaints. The Louisiana Department of Education does, and only after someone files one in writing.
Advocates who have never seen the file cannot tell you what is missing from it. Send the records first and book the call second.
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.
Ask whether the advocate has sat in a NOLA Public Schools (Orleans Parish School Board) meeting before. The answer is a yes or a no and it tells you a great deal.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in New Orleans, Louisiana, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
What do special education advocates charge in New Orleans, Louisiana?
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.
Do I need an advocate for a routine annual review?
Most parents call after a school says no to testing, after goals repeat unchanged for a year, or a week before an annual review. Earlier is cheaper. An advocate hired the night before a meeting can only read so much.
Who runs special education for New Orleans schools?
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.
What is the evaluation deadline in Louisiana?
Louisiana sets its own deadline and it is 60 business days. Federal law lets a state do that, so a timeline a parent reads on a national site may not be the one running here.
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
An IEP provides specialized instruction and related services under IDEA. A 504 plan provides accommodations under a civil rights law and does not require specialized instruction. Eligibility rules differ, so a child can qualify for one and not the other.
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.
If nobody here fits, check the Shreveport page next. The same Louisiana rules apply there.
Free calls are common. Use them to compare people, not to collect advice for nothing.
