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
Nobody is required to bring one. Federal law lets a parent walk into an IEP meeting alone.
Search happens late. Most people reach this page with a meeting already on the calendar.
After the meeting the work is dull. The draft comes back and somebody has to read it against the notes and send a correction the same week.
Write down 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 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
Virtual Special Education & IEP Consultant
I provide virtual IEP and special education support to families in Illinois and beyond. With experience as a Special Education Director, case manager, and special education teacher, I bring both…
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.
The Tennessee Department of Education publishes a complaint form and a mailing address for parents who need one.
Autism accounts for 16,640 students counted under IDEA here.
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.
Advocates who take Nashville cases and advocates who take Memphis cases work from the same statute, so ask about district experience rather than distance.
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.
Attorneys are licensed. Advocates in Tennessee are not, and the difference matters most when a case gets close to a hearing and the district starts talking to its own lawyer.
Advocates who work Nashville and Memphis cases see the same state rules twice a week, and repetition inside one state is the practice worth paying for.
Hiring somebody does not pause a deadline or undo a meeting that already happened. The work starts from wherever the file sits today.
Districts in Nashville and Memphis answer to the parent on the paperwork, so an advocate can draft the letter and you still have to be the one who sends it.
Video is normal now. 27 of the advocates listed for Tennessee work with families by phone or video instead of driving to the school.
Distance is a scheduling problem and not a legal one. Meetings run by video whenever the parent and the school both agree to it.
Remote work is normal in special education now. Documents move by email and the meeting runs on a call.
A phone call cannot read a classroom. If the question is whether the placement fits, somebody has to go and look.
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
Read the profiles on this page. Rates, service area and case history are the three worth comparing.
Contact
Send the same two questions to everybody, which are the rate and the first date they can meet.
Hire
You hire the advocate directly. The agreement is between the two of you.
Work together
Send the file, take the prep call and go into the meeting with a written list.
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 is the hourly rate for a parent advocate?
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 an IEP advocate a type of lawyer?
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.
Can I hire a virtual advocate if we live in Tennessee?
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.
How long can a school take to test my child?
The rule here is 60 calendar days. It covers the evaluation only. Writing the plan after a child is found eligible is a separate step with its own timing.
What can I do if I cannot afford an advocate?
No public program assigns you a private advocate. The links under official resources on this page go to the state agency and to the complaint process, and both cost nothing to use.
How do I get my child school records?
Ask for the full file, which means every evaluation, the progress data behind each goal and any email where the school said no. Put it in writing and keep the date.
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.
