The Power of an Advocate

When her teen godson began getting in trouble at school his freshman year, Ms. Neal knew what he needed.

Marcus* had lost his father to gun violence, and his mother suffered a seizure that left her permanently brain damaged. Ms. Neal, who took in Marcus and his three siblings after the family tragedies, knew him to be calm and respectful. If he was acting out at school, it was because he needed help.

“Maybe if he was going through something, he could have a safe person to go to,” she said. “Somebody that can sit and talk to him about the things that’s on his mind instead of him lashing out.”

What Ms. Neal didn’t expect was how difficult it would be to get Marcus that kind of support, despite multiple meetings, emails, and calls with the school.

Barriers to help

"Ms. Neal’s situation is very common," said Nadiya Pope, an attorney with Advocates for Justice and Education (AJE). This DC Bar Foundation grantee partner helps families understand their rights and advocate for the educational services and supports their children need.

When families seek an evaluation or services for their child, it can be a challenge getting the school to respond until a larger problem develops, Ms. Pope said.  

“Sometimes I'll see a parent not getting believed for what their child needs.”

Lack of school resources, gaps in staff understanding of schools’ legal obligations, limited skills or knowledge addressing students’ needs, and parents not always being heard by school staff can all contribute to families’ need for legal assistance, Ms. Pope said.

Pushing forward

Ms. Neal knows what it feels like not to be heard.

“Parents are fighting for their children,” Ms. Neal said. “When we don’t have anyone to back us up, we get looked over in the school system.”

She repeatedly sought help from Marcus’s school, believing he needed support rather than

punishment.

“There’s been a lot of times I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m just over it. I just want to give up,’” Ms.

Neal said.

Ms. Neal transferred Marcus to another school and shared the losses he had experienced. She was told he would receive support. Instead, she said, the school sought to remove him rather than evaluate him. Through multiple school moves and many of the same challenges, AJE encouraged her to push forward and promised to stand by her side.

A good journey

With AJE attorneys representing her family during due process proceedings, Ms. Neal successfully challenged the school’s decision to expel Marcus and advocated for assessments that finally helped connect him with group counseling, therapy, and support from a social worker.

Over the years, AJE has helped Ms. Neal with several of her children, which has allowed them to thrive at school and beyond.

Marcus now gets good grades, looks forward to going to school, and never gets in trouble. He just started his senior year and aspires to become an HVAC technician after graduating next spring.

“I think he's on a good journey in his life," Ms. Neal said, "and we're going to push to be great.”

*Marcus is a pseudonym used to protect his privacy.