Special education and Section 504 advocates who work with Tennessee families. Compare profiles and contact them directly.
8 virtual advocates who work with Tennessee schools
Advocacy is paid work. The person you hire answers to you and not to the school district.
Tennessee is one state with one set of deadlines, and the district running your school is where the real answer comes from.
An advocate who works Tennessee cases reads the current plan against the evaluation, pulls the progress data to see whether the goals moved, and puts your written concerns in front of the team before anyone sits down.
Request the whole file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to hand parents the education records they keep.
These advocates are not based in Tennessee. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Hialeah, FL · works with Tennessee schools
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.
Virtual · based in Midland, TX · works with Tennessee schools
Special Education Advocate
Kate Keenan is a special education advocate serving families in Midland, TX.
Virtual · based in Leesburg, FL · works with Tennessee schools
CEO IEP Advocate Espanol
Evelyn Roman-Santos is a bilingual Special Education Advocate with 30 years of experience as a School Social Worker.
Virtual · based in Atlanta, GA · works with Tennessee schools
Special Education Advocate
My name is Jalani Traxler and I have loved teaching sense I myself was a student with an IEP receiving my own accommodations in elementary school.
Virtual · based in San Diego, CA · works with Tennessee schools
Special Education Advocate
At the Sanford Autism Advocacy Group (SAAG), we are a small but mighty special education consulting group with an emphasis on Autism and IEPs.
Virtual · based in Bowie, MD · works with Tennessee schools
Independent Education Consultant
I am a licensed school counselor with extensive experience supporting students with IEPs and 504 plans, providing academic and career counseling, and guiding families through critical educational…
Virtual · based in New York, NY · works with Tennessee schools
Special Education Advocate
Clara Liriano, M.S., is a Special Education Advocate and New York State Certified Special Education Teacher with more than 20 years of experience supporting children and individuals with…
Virtual · based in Kansas City, MO · works with Tennessee 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.
Every public school in Tennessee answers to the same state agency, and a rule the district quotes at you can be checked against what that agency has actually published.
35,090 students in this state carry a specific learning disability, which is the largest single category in nearly every state.
The deadline for finishing an initial evaluation in Tennessee is 60 calendar days. Put that date on the calendar the day the paperwork goes in.
Write what you want the school to add on one page and send it in advance, because a team that has read your list cannot pretend it never came up.
Tennessee calls it an administrative complaint. Email it to IDEAdisputeresolution@tn.gov, fax 615-253-5567, or mail it to the Office of General Counsel, Tennessee Department of Education, Andrew Johnson Tower, 9th Floor, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, Tennessee 37243. The model form says to email the district and the state together.
Decision timeline
Tennessee has 60 calendar days from the day the complaint is opened, and it is opened only once it arrives with every required piece. Anything that lands after 5 p.m. Central or on a non-business day is dated the next business day.
No state license exists for special education advocacy. No federal agency issues one either, and no exam stands between a person and the title.
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.
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in Tennessee. Anyone who does is selling you something.
A district is allowed to say no. What it cannot do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
Being listed for Tennessee is not the same as taking every case here, so read the service area on each profile before you write to anyone.
Nobody here is assigned to you. You compare the profiles and write to whoever fits, in Memphis or three hours away.
Meeting by video is a scheduling choice and the school has to agree to it. Ask in writing before the date is set.
Travel is the line item parents notice. Removing it usually takes a few hundred dollars off a standard engagement.
How it works
Find Parent Advocates is a free directory, not a referral service. You browse profiles, compare rates and reviews, and contact the advocate you choose. We do not assign anyone to you.
Browse
Compare advocates across Tennessee, including virtual options. Filter by rate, reviews and focus area.
Contact
Contact the advocate directly. Nothing on this site routes your message through us.
Hire
Agree the scope and the rate in writing before any work starts.
Work together
Work through the records, the letter and the meeting in that order.
Find Parent Advocates is not a party to your contractual relationship with the advocate. We are not responsible for the fees or services provided.
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Tennessee, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much should I budget for one IEP meeting?
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.
Is it too late to bring in an advocate?
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.
Can an advocate represent me at a due process hearing in Tennessee?
Two different jobs. The advocate works the IEP process and the attorney works the legal one. If a hearing is already filed, you need the attorney.
Is remote IEP advocacy allowed?
Yes, with one condition. The school has to agree to the meeting format, so put the request in writing before the date is set.
Do advocates here work on Section 504 plans in Tennessee?
Yes, and the rules differ slightly. Section 504 does not spell out who may attend the way IDEA does, so ask the school in writing before the meeting and keep the answer.
Is a 504 plan weaker than an IEP?
The short version. IEP means the school changes what is taught and how, and Section 504 means the school changes the conditions around it.
These links connect you to your state education agency and complaint options. Advocates on this page can also explain what each step means for your child.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
