Krista Barth, Business Owner, Fierce Advocate, Teacher, and Awesome Momma
I was introduced to the whole notion of advocacy and remediation on a perchance meeting with one of my son’s classmate’s moms- Krista Barth. Here is my interview with Krista on her work and passion. Krista is passionate about her work. She exudes confidence and poise as she explains her role as an advocate and how with her help, perseverance, and fierce (but polite) attitude, she does not let her clients get sideswiped by the school system. With her vast knowledge of student rights, unrelenting motivation, and energetic vibe, she helps kids get the services they need to excel in school.
As it turns out, Krista and I have some common beliefs, one of them being that children need a well-rounded, holistic approach to getting services they need to do better in life. So too, do parents, they need more streamlining, fewer time gaps in between realizing their child needs help and finding the professional who can help them once they enter the world of IEP’s and 504 plans. Many parents don’t know how to prepare for an IEP, many assume that they cannot refute what the school offers them, and sign off on plans that do not provide their child their right to better accommodations.
Help Parents
Having a one-stop-shop helping parents navigate the school system and educational laws can make a world of a difference and definitely reduce parental frustration and anxiety in the process. Having worked in the public school system, collaborated with lawyers, attended training, and earned certifications, Krista is the right guide to help parents get the services their child needs to excel in school.
Krista and I have collaborated in that I provide the psycho-educational evaluations for children who are requesting her services for advocacy or remediation. When parents or teachers request an Individual Education Plan (IEP), the child needs a current report demonstrating strengths and weaknesses in different areas of functioning. My reports are thorough and detailed. I take my time to get to know the child and explain via my report how the child’s history, testing performance and results all culminate to explain the presenting problem. Then, I offer strategic, personalized, and clear cut recommendations to be followed at home and at school.
Our Interview
I interviewed Krista to give a better picture as to what is My Educational Solutions and how her services can help your child get the accommodations they need to excel in school.
- What are My Educational Solutions?
- My Educational Solutions is the website and marketing concept that I use to promote my business Educational Solutions and Advocacy. My goal is to provide a whole comprehensive service that can take any parent/child from a state of problem to solution within the areas of behavior and academics.
- What made you decide to go into advocacy?
- After working in the public school system for over eight years as a regular and special education teacher, I knew that there was a need for advocacy in the South Florida area. I witnessed incomplete scenarios and instances where I felt a child should have been receiving something that they did not. I wanted to speak up and speak out.
- Why would parents need your help?
- Parents are working, they are busy, they have complete lives and they don’t have the time to acquire the depth of knowledge that someone like me has. With a Masters Degree in Special Education and a decade of teaching, I have the knowledge combined with expertise on the law to help guide parents in their journey. I want to make sure that parents know all of their options and I think that’s what parents want from me.
- When is a psycho-educational evaluation necessary?
- Whenever the parent, district, or remediation specialist needs more information about the child’s educational and emotional needs. It is recommended to have an evaluation done every 2-3 years, although in some cases that isn’t necessary. If a parent, teacher, resource person wants to know where a child is at, what is impeding their progress and what are the current strengths/weaknesses of the individual, it would be advisable to invest in an evaluation.
- How does a psycho-ed evaluation help the child or you in terms of advocacy?
- It provides clear cut answers to at times unanswered questions and it sets a road map of where we need to go. In order to properly advocate for a child, I need to have the most current data available.
- What are some examples of cases you’ve worked with to help the child get the accommodations they need?
- Advocating for students who have a 504, but need an IEP
- Maximizing McKay Scholarship funds
- Improving the efficacy of Response to Intervention programs and the accuracy of the data collected
- Advocating for children to receive services at their current Charter School
Contact me for more information at info@myeducationalsolutions.com (305) 510-6739 and please feel free to reach out to Krista on questions regarding advocacy!