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
The role is narrow and useful. An advocate knows what the school owes your child and holds the team to the date it agreed to.
Parents in Tennessee usually start looking the week an evaluation report lands and they cannot tell from it whether the school is offering enough.
Coaching is common in Tennessee. Some parents pay for two hours of prep and then walk into the meeting on their own.
An advocate in Nashville and one three hours away work from the same rulebook, so send the file before you book the call.
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
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 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 Chicago, IL · works with Tennessee schools
Special Education & IEP Consultant
help families understand their child’s IEP and feel prepared to participate confidently in the special education process.
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 Springfield, MA · works with Tennessee schools
N/A
My parent advocacy experience in special education began with students diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, assisting parents with IEP language, asking the appropriate questions to get the answers they…
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 Buford, GA · works with Tennessee schools
Georgia Special Education & IEP Advocate
Dr. Mary Jo Ray-Jewett is the owner and lead advocate of The IEP Guru, LLC, providing special education advocacy throughout Georgia.
Tennessee sets the rules and the district applies them. That split is why a complaint about a missed service names the district.
35,090 students in this state carry a specific learning disability, which is the largest single category in nearly every state.
Once you sign consent for testing, a district in Tennessee has 60 calendar days to finish an initial evaluation, and that clock keeps running while a case manager is out.
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.
Membership in a professional body is not a license. It usually means dues were paid and a code of conduct was signed.
This costs money. At $75 to $150 per hour, a standard Tennessee IEP cycle with two hours of prep and two hours in the meeting runs about $400, and that money does not come back if the answer is still no.
A district is allowed to say no. What it cannot do is say no without written notice that explains the reason.
No advocate covers every district. A remote advocate who knows Tennessee rules is usually a better hire than a local one who does not.
Experience with the district your child attends matters more than the number of years printed on a profile page.
IDEA requires parent participation in IEP meetings and allows a meeting to run by video or phone when you and the school agree.
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
Start with the list on this page and open two or three profiles.
Contact
Reach out to whoever fits. Most advocates start with a free call.
Hire
Confirm what the first task will be and what it costs. A vague answer here predicts a vague invoice.
Work together
The advocate follows up after the meeting. Reading the draft against the notes is where corrections get caught.
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.
What do special education advocates charge in Tennessee?
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.
What is the difference between an IEP advocate and a special education attorney?
No. Advocates prepare for meetings, read the records and negotiate with the district. Attorneys file due process complaints and appear at hearings, which an advocate cannot do.
Can we work with an advocate who lives outside Tennessee?
Yes, with one condition. The school has to agree to the meeting format, so put the request in writing before the date is set.
What should a records request say?
A district can charge for copies. Asking to inspect the record in person costs nothing under federal rules, and it is usually faster than waiting for a copy set.
Where does a written special education complaint go?
Written complaints go to the Tennessee Department of Education. It decides on the paperwork rather than at a hearing, so dates and documents are what the decision turns on.
What documents does an advocate need from me?
Start with a one-page timeline of what happened and when. Every advocate you talk to will build the same thing, so writing it yourself saves an hour of billed time.
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.
