This is a lot to take in, thank you all again for the contributions. Going to make some calls on Monday.

COPAA mama here, it's actually a nonprofit that has brought lawsuits before the Supreme Court. It stands for council of parents, attorneys, and advocates. To be accepted into the directory of professionals you're not allowed to be employed/receive money from a public school system due to conflict of interest. Not implying that anyone who isn't a member is anything less than wonderful, they're just too busy to join, but I do think it shows who's plugged into the local community. Members in nearby counties and states communicate with each other, so you'd get access to a deeper referral network if you need a lawyer or a placement in a different school system. They also host free parent trainings (which is how they got me!) but that's about it for benefits. I do want to note that Monica Martinez has completed advocacy trainings they've put on in addition to being a member, so she probably has the deepest connections to the community out of the other people I've mentioned. It's certainly not the end-all be-all, but every bit of information helps

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've posted in this thread before about COPAA, I ran the names in the MCPS thread through their database. (Can you tell I've had my coffee?) Hayley Jacobson with The Weinfeld Group and Monica Martinez with Suzie Blattner's group are registered- curiously Suzie and Rich themselves are not! After searching the prior names in this thread again, Liz Capone is the only one who practices in Maryland as well. Here are their profiles so you can do more research.

https://www.copaa.org/members/?id=68147756&hhSearchTerms=%22Hayley+and+jacobson%22

https://www.copaa.org/members/?id=46366995&hhSearchTerms=%22Monica+and+martinez%22

https://www.copaa.org/members/?id=68108122&hhSearchTerms=%22Liz+and+capone%22

They're supposed to give free consults, so I would call all of them to get a feel for who would handle your situation the best. Brian Gruber and Selene Almazar are great lawyers if you want additional recs.

There have been threads before about "certified" advocates vs advocates who aren't "certified." What is the benefit of COPAA-registered advocates over others who aren't registered with COPAA?

It's all BS. The field is unregulated. It's like "life coaches." There are plenty of for profit machines where you can get a BS certification. In the end it is useless. There is no regulating agency. That doesn't mean there aren't good advocates. Our experience is some advocates are useful for some situations, but not other and some challenges.

Anonymous wrote:I've posted in this thread before about COPAA, I ran the names in the MCPS thread through their database. (Can you tell I've had my coffee?) Hayley Jacobson with The Weinfeld Group and Monica Martinez with Suzie Blattner's group are registered- curiously Suzie and Rich themselves are not! After searching the prior names in this thread again, Liz Capone is the only one who practices in Maryland as well. Here are their profiles so you can do more research.

https://www.copaa.org/members/?id=68147756&hhSearchTerms=%22Hayley+and+jacobson%22

https://www.copaa.org/members/?id=46366995&hhSearchTerms=%22Monica+and+martinez%22

https://www.copaa.org/members/?id=68108122&hhSearchTerms=%22Liz+and+capone%22

They're supposed to give free consults, so I would call all of them to get a feel for who would handle your situation the best. Brian Gruber and Selene Almazar are great lawyers if you want additional recs.

There have been threads before about "certified" advocates vs advocates who aren't "certified." What is the benefit of COPAA-registered advocates over others who aren't registered with COPAA?

I've posted in this thread before about COPAA, I ran the names in the MCPS thread through their database. (Can you tell I've had my coffee?) Hayley Jacobson with The Weinfeld Group and Monica Martinez with Suzie Blattner's group are registered- curiously Suzie and Rich themselves are not! After searching the prior names in this thread again, Liz Capone is the only one who practices in Maryland as well. Here are their profiles so you can do more research.

https://www.copaa.org/members/?id=68147756&hhSearchTerms=%22Hayley+and+jacobson%22

https://www.copaa.org/members/?id=46366995&hhSearchTerms=%22Monica+and+martinez%22

https://www.copaa.org/members/?id=68108122&hhSearchTerms=%22Liz+and+capone%22

They're supposed to give free consults, so I would call all of them to get a feel for who would handle your situation the best. Brian Gruber and Selene Almazar are great lawyers if you want additional recs.