The History of Beyond the Classroom 

The idea for Beyond the Classroom first came while working at schools in Washington, DC area. Despite working with a great team who came from a diverse background of educational training, Katie and her team members saw the difficulties for families trying to navigate school policies, Special Education law, IDEA and ADA, and support services. Families often did not know their educational rights, did not get a chance to have their questions and comments heard at meetings, and did not have the data at hand to advocate for the supports they believed their child may need. 

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After the pandemic, there was a hope for schools receiving major overhauls for the systemic problems in education that were exposed; however the opposite has happened. Schools continue to be underfunded and understaffed, leading to having more and more problems than previous school years, all while children are trying to navigate a return to in person learning, socialization, and missed critical learning time. Based on first hand knowledge and experience working in schools, Katie decided to create Beyond the Classroom as a resource to families trying to navigate current school practices and laws. The goal is to assist families in understanding their child's needs and advocate with families for the supports and services that their children need for continued success.