Our Services & How to Get Help



Overview

Student Advocacy's goal is to help children overcome the obstacles to school success. We assist parents in obtaining the most comprehensive response to a child's educational needs that is allowable under the law.
We: We address educational issues related to:

Who We Serve

Parents (or professionals working with a family) can call to request assistance if:
  1. the child has a problem at school;
  2. the child is less than 21 years old and does not have a regular high school diploma (Note: GED and IEP diplomas are not regular high school diplomas);
  3. the family is a resident of Westchester or Putnam Counties (for help elsewhere, see below); and
  4. the family does not have an attorney or advocate that is already representing the child (if you have an attorney or advocate that is representing your child in any way, you must disclose this so that we can determine your eligibility for service).

A Professional Staff

Services are provided by Educational Advocates under the supervision of our Legal Director. Each one of our Educational Advocates has expertise in education, the law, disabilities, and other special needs of children and youth. When a family calls to request our help, the family is assigned an Educational Advocate who works with the family throughout our service.


Servicios Bilingues

Student Advocacy provee servicios educacionales, que ayudan al studiante con problemas en la escuela. Para más información llame al (914) 347-7039 ext. 110.


Educational Advocacy

The Educational Advocate's initial goal is to find the core of the problem, to separate out the emotions and side issues, by listening to the parent’s story and asking questions that focus the parent's attention on the central issue. We steer parents towards problem-solving and away from repetition of past grievances. Since we neither live with nor teach the child, it's important to gather as much information as possible, learning the child's educational history and understanding his or her strengths, needs and disability. In some cases, we also speak to school staff and private therapists, meet the parent and the child or observe the child learning. Then the Educational Advocate either provides advice to help parents act as a better advocate for their child or represents the child, negotiating on his/her behalf at school meetings.


How Quickly Can We Respond

Staff may be able to return your call right away. However, we are often attending meetings for other children and may not be able to return your call immediately. Your advocate will call to clarify the school issue. Technical assistance may be provided at that time. Or, your advocate may need to research the issue and call you back. With the exception of a Superintendent's suspension hearing, our representation of your child requires at least five weeks lead time to allow us to conduct all necessary preparations. Legal knowledge and educational expertise are not enough; we need to analyze the documented facts about your child’s educational needs.


Please Be Aware

Educational advocacy takes time. Quick solutions that are made without an adequate understanding of your child are likely to fail. We cannot rush school procedures. For example, the process for educational placements outside a district can be lengthy. Please contact us well in advance of any school meetings, particularly in the spring. By law, students are entitled to a reasonable educational benefit not the best educational services; we advocate for the maximum benefit under the law. We will not take actions that are not in the child's best interest. We work almost exclusively at the school district level because we are so successful; if you want to pursue an Impartial Hearing or Commissioner’s Appeal, we will refer you to another agency.


Cost

General information is provided at no cost to you. If we need to review your child's school records or represent your child, there may be a fee involved. Whenever possible, we try to match your family with one of our programs so that there will be no cost to you. Otherwise, you will be charged on a sliding scale that takes into account income and family size. If we decide to review your child's school records, we will advise you at that time if there will be a fee to ensure that you are aware of the fee and accept responsibility for payment.


How to Get Help

Call Student Advocacy's Intake Line at (914) 347-3313. Office visits are by appointment only. During your first call, which takes only 5 minutes, our Administrative Assistant will ask basic information about you and your child such as your address and school but cannot provide technical assistance.

An Education Advocate will be assigned to work with you and will call you as soon as possible but no later than three work days after your initial call. Please ask and take note of your advocate's name and direct number so that you can easily reach your advocate. On all mail, list your advocate’s name and Student Advocacy.


Getting Help Beyond Our Service Area

If you live outside of Westchester or Putnam, we cannot serve you. However, here are some suggestions for finding an educational advocate elsewhere.

  1. If your child has been suspended by the Superintendent for more than 5 days, seek legal counsel. Check with your local Legal Services office to determine if they have a child or educational advocacy program. If you cannot find free legal services, you can obtain the names of local attorneys through the Bar Association in your area. Make sure that the attorney whom you select has handled school matters.
  2. If your child has a disability, you may be able to get assistance through:
    • your local Developmental Disabilities Services Office if you reside in the state of New York. These offices are local arms of New York State’s Office for Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD). See http://www.omr.state.ny.us/
    • your local branch of the federal Office of Civil Rights (OCR). OCR is responsible for enforcing federal civil rights laws including protections for people with diasbilities and against discrimination on the basis of gender, race or ethnicity. See http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html
    • your local Youth Bureau if you reside in the state of New York. These county and city bureaus provide youth services primarily with state funding from the Office of Children and Family Services.
    • your local United Way or through 211. Many United Way offices have a helpline or listing of community services. Some are also affiliated with the new and developing 211 system. The 211 system provides access to human services similarly to the way that 911 provides access to emergency services.