I Know What Happens in Those Rooms.

Before I became a special education advocate, I was a special education teacher.

I sat in IEP meetings as part of the school team. I watched parents come in nervous, overwhelmed, and outnumbered — sitting across from six, seven, eight school district employees who all spoke the same language. I watched them nod along to things they didn't fully understand. I watched them sign documents without knowing what they were agreeing to. And I watched them leave without ever saying the things they came in to say.

That stayed with me.

Because I also knew what was possible when a parent was informed, prepared, and confident. I knew how different those meetings looked — and how different the outcomes were for kids — when parents walked in knowing their rights.

That's why I started EmpowerED.

I started EmpowerED because parents deserve better.

The special education system is complex, technical, and — if we're being honest — designed in a way that can make parents feel like they don't belong at the table. The jargon is dense. The documents are overwhelming. And when you're sitting across from a room full of professionals, it can be hard to trust your own instincts about your own child.

But here's what I know after years in special education: you are the most important person in that room. Federal law says so. IDEA requires your meaningful participation — not as a guest, not as an observer, but as a required member of your child's IEP team with equal standing.

My job is to make sure you know that — and that you know how to use it.

A little about me:

My name is Kristina. I hold a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction and a K-12 Reading Specialist certification. I am board-certified in IEP development through the National Association of Special Education Teachers (BCIEP), and I hold additional board certifications in special education advocacy (BCASE) and IEP process (CSIEP).

Before founding EmpowerED, I spent years in public education teaching across multiple grade levels — from kindergarten through 7th grade — and serving as the Reading Instruction Coach for my middle and high school. That breadth of experience means I understand how children learn at every stage of development, what grade-level expectations actually look like in the classroom, and how reading and learning challenges present differently across a child's entire school career.

That classroom experience gives me something most advocates don't have — I know what good special education looks like from the inside. I know what a well-written IEP goal looks like. I know what appropriate services look like. And I know the difference between a school that's doing its best and a school that's cutting corners.

That dual perspective — experienced educator and board-certified advocate — is what makes EmpowerED different.

What I believe:

I believe every child deserves an education designed specifically for them — not a program designed for the budget, or the schedule, or what's easiest for the district.

I believe parents are capable of understanding their rights when someone explains them in plain language without condescension.

I believe the IEP process works best when parents are informed, engaged, and confident — and that getting there doesn't require a law degree.

I believe you belong at that table. And I'm here to make sure you show up like it.

My credentials:

🎓 M.S. Curriculum & Instruction

📖 K-12 Reading Specialist Certification

🏫 Certified Special Education Teacher

🛡️ Board Certified in IEP Development — BCIEP (NASET)

🛡️ Board Certified Advocate in Special Education — BCASE

🛡️ Certified Special Education IEP Professional — CSIEP

👩‍🏫 Former Classroom Teacher — Kindergarten · 5th Grade · 7th Grade

📚 Former Reading Instruction Coach — Middle & High School

Ready to work together?

Whether you need a one-time document review or an advocate in your corner all year, EmpowerED has a service designed for exactly where you are right now.

For advocacy and informational purposes only. Not legal advice.