We’re in the last major stretch of the school year. If you’re facing problems at school, it might seem like it’s too late to get the help you need. It’s never too late! And spring might be one of the best times for military families to hire an education advocate.
Why Spring is the Best Time to Hire an Education Advocate
It might seem counterintuitive to bring a new person onto your school team in the spring. After all, you might be facing PCS orders and changing schools. It’s the end of the school year, almost, and it doesn’t make sense to rock the boat now.
Or does it?
IEP Evaluations
After an almost full school year of work, spring is a great time to really assess where your child stands academically. Spring is a hot zone for IEP referrals and testing requests. Schools can quickly get overwhelmed and behind in testing.
Bringing an advocate onto your team helps you to stay at the top of the pile. With an advocate, you have a little more weight and pull. Your advocate will stay in contact with the school frequently. They will ask about assessments that are planned, the testing timeline, and when results might be expected back.
Sure, you could do these things. But when it comes from an outside education expert and advocate, these simple requests suddenly take on a bigger importance.
IEP Meetings
With so many new referrals and older cases up for evaluation, bringing a little extra muscle to the table never hurts. When you hire an education advocate, you are hiring a professional. Your advocate can review education documents, make recommendations, help you prepare for the meeting, and even sit at the table with you.
When suggestions are made by an advocate instead of a parent, schools seem to sit up and take more notice.
Among all the many IEPs being handled this spring, you want the school to understand that you mean business.
504 Plans
Your child might not need an IEP, but they could benefit from a 504 Plan. Advocates can help with these plans, too!
Learn about the differences between IEPs and 504 Plans
504 Plans are treated more casually by the school, but they are still federally protected plans that need to be followed. When you hire an education advocate, you show that you take this seriously. Your advocate will be able to suggest accommodations and strategies that you might not have considered. This opens up many new possibilities to ensure your child’s success.
Testing Accommodations
Spring is a huge testing season at school. From early SAT and ACT tests for sophomores and juniors to end of grade and course exams for everyone, testing is in the air!
You want to make sure that your child is comfortable and confident on test day. Hiring an education advocate to review your child’s current plan and make recommendations can help this situation immensely. There might be options out there that you, and the school, hadn’t considered!
Moving Schools
When PCS orders hit, many parents immediately start thinking about schools. This process can quickly get overwhelming and confusing.
Instead of going it alone, consider bringing an education advocate on board to help you with your school search! Your advocate will be able to determine which schools are right for you based on your child’s unique needs.
PCSing is stressful enough, without spending endless hours researching schools. Take some stress off of your plate when you hire an education advocate to handle this for you.
School Communication
Just because this school year is winding down doesn’t mean that school is over for you. You still need to chat with teachers this year, and next year. And for the foreseeable future, until graduation.
Learn how to do it right and get results when you hire an education advocate! This is what MilKids Ed specializes in, too.
Learn better teacher communication strategies with Talk to the Teacher
Your advocate can walk you through ways to make your emails read as “friendly and approachable” instead of “pissed off and demanding.” When you change how you’re talking to teachers, you’ll start seeing results!
Learn more about working with an education advocate! Email Meg at milkidsed@gmail.com
~Meg
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