Education Advocacy
Overview
Our Experts
The Education team is part of Public Counsel’s Children’s Rights Project and provides education advocacy for students and their families on a broad range of issues. It prioritizes the representation of the most marginalized students, including students of color, English Learners, students with disabilities who are denied appropriate access to Special Education services, students who are being pushed out of comprehensive schools, and students who are involved in the dependency or delinquency court systems. The team draws from its direct service work to create community partnerships and legislative and policy change to create a model for education reform across California.
The team’s policy goals include:
1) Advocate for effective, research-based reforms to confront the school-to-prison pipeline;
2) Improve school climate and family and community engagement and increase the emphasis on prevention, community- and school-based interventions, and recovery;
3) Reform education conditions for youth who are incarcerated and those exiting the delinquency court system.
Special Education Advocacy: Our team provides individual direct representation to students receiving special education services. We represent families at all stages of the special education process (IEP) including, obtaining evaluations to determine special education eligibility, IEP meting advocacy, manifestation determination meetings, and compliance complaints and due process proceedings.
We also offer community know your rights special education trainings that provide an overview of the special education legal framework including a basic understanding of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and defense options available to families such as the Compliance Complaint Process and Due Process Hearings. Our hope is that we can equip parents and community members to identify issues and engage confidently with schools.
Publications
Public Counsel publications offer practical tools and guidance to help students, families, and advocates navigate complex education systems. Our resources aim to advance education equity by supporting efforts to secure the services and opportunities that every student deserves.
The Latest
Our staff work with clients and partners to identify patterns of injustice that impact and harm the communities we serve. Through strategic litigation, we effect large-scale change and systems reform while amplifying the power of affected communities and advancing public discourse.
Get Help
Services
We provide education advocacy for students and their families on a broad range of issues. We prioritize the representation of families with lower incomes, English Learners, students of color, students with disabilities who are denied appropriate access to Special Education services, students who are being pushed out of comprehensive schools, and students who are involved in the dependency or delinquency court systems.
Get Help NowNeed help with a special education issue, or interested in scheduling a community training? Our team offers free legal advocacy and know-your-rights trainings to support students with disabilities and their families. We can assist with special education eligibility, IEP meetings, dispute resolution, and more.
Click here to request help, or call (213) 385-2977 ext. 500.
