Parent Advocacy Center

04/19/2026

Schools get ten free days of suspensions. After that, the law changes.

If they hold a manifestation determination, it triggers real obligations—reviewing and revising the IEP, conducting an FBA, rewriting the BIP, actually addressing the behavior.

And that’s the dilemma.

Because once those ten days are gone, it’s often easier to ignore the behavior than hold the hearing. Easier to do nothing than trigger obligations the district should have met all along.

So the same behavior that was documented all year becomes something to manage quietly instead of address legally.

Not because the law is unclear.
Because following it requires action.

04/15/2026

We talk about literacy gaps like they just happen.

They don’t.

They are created one bad educational decision at a time.

Then they are protected and shielded from meaningful criticism or accountability.

Enough.

03/01/2026

Heart warming…

Here’s to reminding myself…

I’m not here to make friends.
I’m here to support my child.

As lonely as that feels sometimes.

I didn’t sign up my children for sports to find my social circle. I signed up because my kid fell in love with something, a sport, a team, a dream and I promised I’d show up.

So I show up.

Even when the crowd feels divided.
Even when conversations stop when I walk up.
Even when I sit alone scrolling my phone between routines because everyone else seems to have their “people.”

It would be easier to get pulled into it. The gossip. The alliances. The subtle competition between parents. But that’s not why I’m here.

I’m here to clap the loudest.
I’m here to make eye contact when they look to the crowd.
I’m here to be the safe place in the car ride home, win or lose.

And some days, yeah… it feels lonely.

It feels isolating to exist on the outside of something that’s so social for everyone else. It feels heavy to keep your head down when drama swirls around you. It feels awkward to stand alone in a room full of groups.

But I remind myself, I’m not here for belonging in the crowds.

I’m here so my child never questions whether I’m in their corner.

Friendships would be nice. Community would be nice. But if I have to choose between fitting in and protecting my peace, I’ll choose peace every time.

Because at the end of the day, the only relationship that truly matters in that building is the one between me and my child.

And if standing alone means standing strong for them
I’ll take the lonely seat.

01/21/2026

great article

Echolalia can sound like 'copying'... but it’s often communication in disguise.

When a child repeats phrases from you, school, YouTube, or their favourite show, it isn’t usually random — it can be their way of processing language, managing anxiety, or finding the words when their brain feels stuck.

This one-page guide explains what echolalia is, why it happens, and how to respond in a way that builds connection (and communication) instead of shutting it down.

To SAVE, click on the image, tap the three dots, and choose Save. Facebook only.

11/23/2025

“Teaching all essential components of language, reading, and writing takes time. There are no shortcuts for overcoming huge and chronic gaps in skill development and reading experience.” — Louisa C. Moats, Ed.D., “Teaching Adolescents to Read”

Dr. Moats reminds us that supporting adolescent readers requires patience, precision, and evidence-aligned practice.

The Reading League’s Adolescent Reading Intervention Evaluation Guidelines offer a clear framework to help educators and leaders make informed, evidence-aligned decisions about adolescent reading interventions.

⬇️ Explore this resource in The Reading League Compass and learn how to make data-informed decisions that meet adolescent readers where they are.

09/09/2023

Saturday, October 28, 2023 8am - 4pm Cost $74.50 This conference fee of $74.50 has been vendored through Kern Regional Center, and families have successfully accessed Family Education Funds to pay for the conference fee. Talk with your KRC service coordinator early to ensure you have education funds...

08/06/2023

Print out this free checklist of executive function challenges. Then, check off the accommodations that have been effective (or you think may be effective). The accommodations listed in this free checklist can help address the executive functions challenges that impact learning, retention, and organization skills.

https://www.additudemag.com/download/executive-function-worksheet/

08/06/2023

It’s not unusual for kids to behave differently in different settings. Some kids are on their best behavior in school, only to act out at home. Others stress out in the classroom. Advice from the Child Mind Institute about why some kids act out in different settings, and how parents and teachers c...

06/15/2023

Unspent COVID $$ to mitigate learning loss. Check your district's status! https://edsource.org/2023/amounts-california-districts-were-allotted-and-spent-in-federal-covid-aid/692198

01/10/2022

This must change!

An internationally recognized expert in the field of education, who will remain anonymous, recently (2019) said, “I gave up on special education a long time

12/03/2021

We are here to help!

07/27/2021

ADHD and Executive Function Disorder (EFD) are tightly linked, but far from synonymous. They both make it exceedingly difficult to complete tasks and stay organized, but EFD impacts nearly all goal-directed behavior. How to tell the difference — and get it under control.