AZ Educational Advocate, LLC

Consultation, Collaboration, and Advocacy

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Parental Support

The special education process can be overwhelming for even the most educated and involved parents. As your advocate, I am able to support and lead you through the entire process. We will prepare for meetings, attend together, and I will actively engage with the school staff through phone calls, emails and meetings to ensure that your child’s 504 Plan or IEP is appropriate, measurable and serving to
bring meaningful benefit to their educational experience. I will attend MET, FBA/BIP,504, IEP and transition meetings with you, as well as provide classroom behavioral observations when appropriate.

Laura Passmore

Your Advocate

Laura Passmore, M.Ed. As a certified teacher, I have dedicated countless hours to building multi-modality lessons and modifying curriculum to meet the needs of each individual learner. I’ve developed hundreds of IEPs and led numerous meetings as a special education director. As an advocate, I stay current with state and federal legislation, as well as current curriculum and educational programming through 30 hours of annual conferences and training. I am an expert witness on educational legal cases.

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Maximize Potential

I believe that every child has a right to learn and to maximize their potential in the public/charter school setting. My job is to guide the parents through the process, in an effort to increase implementation and compliance from school/district staff as they provide an appropriate education to each child, specifically addressing their unique strengths and needs.

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Value

It can be invaluable for parents to have a knowledgeable advocate from the education field by your side through what can be a frustrating and time consuming process of gaining support for your child. Meetings become more efficient and effective when an experienced education professional can help to lead the process, highlight rights and opportunities for support, increase school accountability and answer questions along the way.

When our son started having problems at school we didn’t know where to turn. It was suggested to us to contact an advocate and it was the best decision we could have made. From the start, Laura was 100% invested in our son. She is incredibly knowledgeable about Special Education and the rights/accommodations that are available to students. We always touched base before meetings so we would go in as a united front. I’m sure we would have been taken advantage of or not given the whole story if Laura wasn’t there. She advocated for our son for seven years and she was just as dedicated in year seven as she was in our first meeting. To say that we are thankful is an understatement because it is so much more than that. So now it’s our turn to advocate for Laura. We never would have been able to get thru the seven years without her. Laura is compassionate, knowledgeable, dedicated and will do what is needed to help your student.

Lisa In Surprise

Hi Laura,

Hopefully you remember me…Ted Tengel (Mason Tengel’s dad). You’ve been on my heart lately relative to Mason’s academic performance in 8th grade. He received a 4.0 in quarters 2, 3, and 4. Also, his citizenship and work habits “grades” were very good. I cannot help but attribute some of that success to the energy that you created at the end of 7th grade. Mason truly experienced a paradigm shift after that.
Thanks!
T.T.

Hey Laura,

I just finished pulling together the information I needed for XXXX’s IEP meeting in the morning and it has me reflecting on our how different the beginning of this school year is from our last. I needed to tell you again how grateful I am for you! How much I admire and truly love you! I know that XXXX and I would not be in such a positive joyous place if not for you. I am so relieved not to have to sit in another meeting with a group of women who have lost their desire or ability to put the kids first. XXXX was counting down the days to be back at school and was very excited that this year they are having clubs! He signed up for the Year Book, Yoga and ran for president of the Student Council (which he was awarded this morning!!) If you had told me a year ago he would be this bubbly, excited, stressfree, hardworking, enthusiastic, student I would never have believed it. I always KNEW it was in him…but this potential would never have been tapped if not for your love, dedication, hard work, and support!!! My heart is overflowing with joy and gratitude. Thank you for doing what you do!! It is not an easy calling, but my friend you do it with grace and love.
We are in a good place! Thank you for believing in my boys and for making me feel empowered and supported!
B.R. In Phoenix

Hello Ms. Passmore,

I am the school psych that worked with you at XXXXXX. I wanted to let you know that I really appreciated your style. I’ve been in special ed for about 20 years, and have come into contact with many advocates, and most are unreasonable and/or come in guns blazing. You were collaborative, child centered and actually taught our teachers a few things.
Thanks again.
C.W. In Phoenix

For years, Laura Passmore has been helping me and my child navigate the confusing and emotional road of ADHD diagnosis and subsequent IEP and 504 Accommodation Plans.  When my child began showing indications that he was struggling in school, I tried to incentivize him to study harder, go to tutoring, memorize facts, read more, practice math formulas, meet with teachers.  He was so frustrated that he could not retain information and he learned so differently than the teachers were teaching.  I didn’t realize the struggle he was really feeling.  I met with Principals and School Psychologists, Gen. Ed. teachers and Special Ed. teachers, but I didn’t know the questions to ask to get to the root of my child’s learning differences.

When Laura and I met, she opened my eyes to the fact that my child had a verifiable reason to have accommodations in the classroom.  She advocated for him in meetings with Principals, teachers, psychologists and counselors in order to educate them about my child’s learning style and accommodations that HE IS ENTITLED TO in order to help him learn.  I felt supported, having Laura in my corner, and I felt that my child would finally receive the education he deserved because someone who intricately knew the educational system would be speaking for him.
As a parent, I only saw my child struggling in school.  I didn’t know how to identify his needs or even ask the right questions of the administrators, in order to help my child succeed.
Every child deserves the chance to learn.  In today’s overcrowded classrooms, with fast-paced curricula and districts that have restricted Special Education funding, it is imperative to have an advocate who knows the right questions to ask and who knows the laws that pertain to Special Education.  Laura Passmore puts children first and always keeps the child’s best interest at the forefront of her meetings.
Any parent who has a child who is struggling in school, who doesn’t know how to help them, can rest assured that their child will have the best,  most well-versed, professional advocate for their child with Laura Passmore in their corner.
E.B. In Peoria

Professional, reliable, advocate serving Arizona statewide.

We are committed to quality services leading to a free, appropriate, public education (FAPE) as defined in the federal and state laws. This affords meaningful benefit and progress in the least restrictive environment (LRE) for all students.

Step 1: Contact Laura @ 623-512-8514

Step 2: Consultation
This is an in person 2 hour meeting that includes file review, questions and summary of suggested supports. Release, contract signed. Fee due at time of service.

Step 3: Meetings, Communication & Support

1. What is IDEA?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that requires schools to serve the educational needs of eligible students with disabilities.

● Schools must evaluate students suspected of having disabilities, including learning disabilities.

● Not every child with learning and attention issues qualifies for special education services under IDEA.

If you think your child needs special education services, you have to follow a legal process to make it happen. This process can be confusing. It can involve several laws. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the most important one to understand. As the nation’s special education law, IDEA provides rights and protections to children with disabilities and to their parents. Learning your rights under IDEA can make it easier for your child to get the help he needs (and is legally entitled to) at school.

If the school is not helping or responding when you tell them that you think your child needs extra help or is having learning struggles, here is what you can do:
Know your rights and timelines associated with requests for evaluation and the meeting process. Keep all documentation and emails regarding any requests previously made.
Hire Laura to advocate for you and your child’s educational rights. She will communicate with the school and attend meetings with you.

Yes, parents and guardians are absolutely team members who are entitled to provide input and opinions for consideration during the development of a student’s IEP or 504 Plan.

Yes, a charter school receives public funding. Therefore, it is a public school, which means it must adhere to the same provisions of IDEA in guaranteeing your child a FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education).

Is there anything that can be done when the school is not following my child’s IEP or 504 Plan? Yes. IEP compliance is taken very seriously by the Department of Education. 504 Plan compliance is taken very seriously by the Office of Civil Rights. I can support you in following the appropriate process to increase compliance and to develop a plan with the school to provide your child with access to meaningful educational benefit, as afforded through IDEA and ADA.

Yes, I serve clients throughout the state of Arizona. Some travel fees may apply for distances greater than 35 miles. Our focus is on positive outcomes and proactive solutions for students, families and schools.

Unlock Your Child’s Potential