Education Advocacy Services
These agencies offer services to children subject to zero-tolerance policies or other school discipline-related problems. Check individual agencies for the exact services offered and eligibility requirements.
Before contacting an agency, please collect the following information if applicable to your situation:
- Your child’s last IEP (Individualized education program), if any.
- Your child’s last report card.
- Progress Reports and correspondence with your child’s school.
- Important addresses and phone numbers.
- Proof of income (check stubs).
- Proof of government benefits (i.e. receipts for CalWorks, Food Stamps).
| Agency | Services and Eligibility |
Fees and Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Community Asset Development Re-defining Education (CADRE) 8510 ½ South Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90003 (323) 752-9997, x317 info@cadre-la.org |
Local. Will help parents understand their situations and works closely with Public Counsel to see if they can assist. There are no eligibility requirements. But CADRE is best equipped to assist parents in LAUSD, and especially in Local District 7. Parents could also be South LA residents with children in other local districts, but it is a little bit harder. Best to call first to carry on numerous strategies and activities. |
Appointment only. 9am-5pm, Monday – Friday. |
| Advocates for Children 51 West 30th Street, 5th Floor New York, NY 10001 (212) 947-9779 info@advocatesforchildren.org |
Advocates for Children of New York works on behalf of children who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, disability, race, ethnicity, immigrant or English Language Learner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or involvement in the foster care or juvenile justice systems. |
Helpline available between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm EST, Monday through Thursday, at 1-866-427-6033 or message via website. |
| Fix School Discipline Sarah Omojola (510) 529-3472. somojola@publiccounsel.org |
National. FixSchoolDiscipline is a project of Public Counsel. The site contains resources for educators and community members, including a toolkit designed to demonstrate alternatives to zero-tolerance policies. | |
| Public Counsel Law Center Children’s Rights Division 610 S. Ardmore Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90005 (213) 385-2977 |
Free to low income families as long as they meet income eligibility that
they screen during intake call. Several different projects exist that
specialize in different areas of law. |
Appointment only. 9am-5:15pm, Monday – Friday. |
| Children’s Rights Clinic Southwestern Law School 3050 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90010 Ph: (213) 738-6621 childrenrights@swlaw.edu |
Local. Represent children who have disciplinary issues such as
suspension appeals, opportunity transfer appeals, correction of records
or representation at expulsion hearings. Also represent students with special needs from initial requests for assessments, representation at IEPs, through representation in due process Eligibility: low to middle-income families, but no specific restrictions. Child must reside in Los Angeles County to be eligible and who would not otherwise be able to obtain legal representation and an age range between 3 and 22. Clinic offers direct client representation, which includes advocacy, negotiating with school personnel, representation at discipline hearings, IEP’s, and at mediation or due process hearings. |
Appointment only. 9am-5pm, Monday - Friday. Free service is limited. Also based on specific income levels. |
| Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice 1241 S. Soto Street, Suite 102 Los Angeles, CA 90023 (323) 980-3500 info@laclj.org |
Local. Only handles Family, U Visa, housing, VAWA cases. |
Appointment only. 1pm-4pm, Monday-Friday . |
| Alliance for Children’s Rights 3333 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550 Los Angeles, CA 90010 Ph: (213) 368-6010 |
Local. Does NOT typically handle disciplinary issues. Mission is to
assist children in out of home or foster care though programs (Special
Education, Healthcare, Adoptions, Benefits and Guardianships). Child is eligible only if in foster care. Address issues such as open dependency cases, special education (no general education discipline issues). |
Appointment and walk-in’s welcome. 9am-5:30pm, Monday - Friday. |
| Mental Health Advocacy Services 3255 Wilshire Blvd. #902 Los Angeles, California 90010 Ph: (213) 389-2077 Fax: (213) 389-2595 info@mhas-la.org |
Local. Mainly takes cases for children with special education needs/issues pertaining to special education. Eligibility requirements: mainly low income, but it is recommended to call since cases are passed on to advocates who decide to take the case. Child is potentially eligible if has mental health and/or education issues, is low-income (on average, 200% or below the federal poverty line; family of four, no more than $24,000), and lives within LA County. May also be eligible if the child has mental health and/or education issues, lives in county supervisor Gloria Molina’s district (east LA down to Southgate and certain areas between the I-10 and I-60 freeways out to Pomona, plus Baldwin Park and Azusa_, and is extremely poor (family of four, no more than $18,000). Not accepting any expulsion cases that are not special education –related. Also, contact Ruth S. Cusick, ext. 22, rcsick@mshas-la.org (for discipline issues). |
Appointment only. 9am-5pm, Monday - Friday. |
| Disability Rights Legal Center Education Advocacy Project Loyola Law School 919 Albany Street Los Angeles, CA 90015 (213) 736-8366 |
Local. Center will more likely represent clients facing discrimination
due to disabilities (i.e. learning disability), but will consult with
and refer anyone. Clients must be low-income. It is recommended that
callers mention that they were referred by Public Counsel. |
Appointment only. 9am-5:30pm, Monday-Friday. |
| Disabilities Rights California (formerly known as Protection and Advocacy Inc.) 3580 Wilshire Blvd, Ste. 902 Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 427-8747 |
Local. Individual students with behavior issues may be eligible for behavior support if the behavior is a result of their disability, as provided in the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) AND the IEP specifies as such. |
Appointment only. 9am-5pm, Monday - Friday. |
| Division of Special Education LAUSD Parent Resource Network 333 South Beaudry, 17th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017 Ph: (800) 933-8133 Fax: (213) 241-8915 spec-ed@lausd.net |
Local. Individual students with behavior issues may be eligible for behavior support if the behavior is a result of their disability, as provided in the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) AND the IEP specifies as such. |
Appointment only. 9am-5pm, Monday - Friday. |
| Templeton Children, Youth, and Family Collaborative United Methodist Church 1200 W. 37th Place Los Angeles, CA 90007 (323) 730-9400 Fax: (323) 730-9403 |
Local. They do not provide services for school discipline. The group provides mentoring, employment assistance, CAHSEE help, and support regarding school transition, academic probation, foster care youth, and transition youth. |
Phone calls only. 8am-6pm, Monday-Friday |
| New Visions Foundation 3131 Olympic Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90404 (310) 829-9877 |
Child must be in foster care. Foundation provides funding for capable
students struggling in currently inadequate educational environment to
attend private school or college. Contact Executive Director Paul Comin. |
|
| Fiesta Educativa 163 South Avenue 24, Suite 201 Los Angeles, CA 90031 (323) 221-6696 |
Local. The only eligibility requirement is that the child have an IEP
and be a student of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Agency informs and assists Latino families in obtaining services and in caring for their children with special needs. Provides parent training, community outreach, advocacy for children with special needs, and parent support groups. |
Walk-in, appointments. 8:30am-5pm, Monday-Friday. |
| Special Education Clinic/ Children’s Rights Clinic Whittier Law School 3333 Harbor Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 444-4141, ext. 303 |
Local. The Clinic provides civil legal services in matters involving the
care and support of minor children, such as guardianship, post-foster
care adoption, non-marital child support and custody matters, and
special education advocacy. Contact clinic director Bill Patton. |
Appointments only. 9am-5pm, Monday - Friday. |
Learning Rights Law Center (LRLC) Randi Sunshine (she/her) Executive Director 1625 West Olympic Blvd. Suite 500 Los Angeles, CA 90015 Phone: 213-315-5409
|
Services are available to low-income students and their families. The
following free services are provided to students who are 3 to 22 years
old with education issues: (1) consultations; (2) direct representation;
and (3) parent training. At diagnostic intake clinics, parents and/or students meet one-on-one with a Learning Rights advocate to discuss the student’s education issues. Parents are advised by an attorney as to the student’s rights and are given actionable steps to remedy the issues at hand. When appropriate, students and their families are provided with legal representation to resolve the student’s education issues. |
Call for a diagnostics intake session. 9am-5pm, Monday - Friday. |
| Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) 1550 W. 8th St. Los Angeles, CA 90017 (800) 399-4529 |
Local. Provides legal assistance /representation for school discipline
issues. Eligibility requirements include living in the Los Angeles Area
and low income. |
Appointment only. 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday. |
| California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. 631 Howard Street, Suite 300 San Francisco, CA 94105-3907 (415) 777-2752 |
State. Serves variety of individuals while maintaining focused programs
for farm worker populations. Clients include individuals with
disabilities, immigrants, school children, LGBT populations, seniors,
and individuals with limited English proficiency. Serves mainly
low-income individuals residing in over 22 California counties. High quality legal services provided at no cost. |
Many offices exist. |
| The W. Haywood Burns Institute 180 Howard St. Suite 320 San Francisco, CA 94105 Ph: (415) 321-4100 Fax: (415) 321-4140 info@burnsinstitute.org |
State. No direct assistance, but will provide referrals if parents call. | Appointment only. 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday. |
| WrightsLaw |
National. Website provides “parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys
with accurate, up-to-date information about special education law and
advocacy so they can be effective catalysts.” Many different topics re
covered, including Behavior & Discipline, which encompasses Zero
Tolerance Policies. Specific topics and links are available on the left column. A great resource to get a working knowledge of the law and read related articles, for free. |
Many free resources, but consultation cost$ 395.00. Advocacy training in different states. Either a $49.95 program or a $89.95 program available. |
| National Disability Rights Network 900 Second Street, NE, Suite 211 Washington, DC 20002 (202) 408-9514 |
National. NDRN is a nonprofit organization that provides legally based
advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.
Coordination for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy
(P&A) and Client Assistance Programs (CAP). Deals with educational issues for persons with disabilities, at the national level. |
|
| Schools for All Campaign ACLU of Northern California 39 Drumm Street San Francisco, CA 94111 schoolsforall@aclunc.org |
The Schools for All Campaign is a multidisciplinary campaign aimed at keeping students in comprehensive schools that are supportive, safe, and equitable. Schools have an obligation to provide an educational environment free from bias, harassment, and discrimination and to address issues of student misbehavior in a manner that teaches appropriate behavior, limits the use of exclusionary discipline, and achieves educational opportunity while still ensuring school safety. Please view the publication: Discipline in California Schools: Legal Requirements and Positive School Environments. |
No fees. |
