Special Education Ombudsman - San Francisco

To address the needs of families whose students receive Special Education Services, Laura Savage joined SFUSD in July as the special education ombudsman. In this role she works as the family, community and staff liaison for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). She assists parents and guardians when they have disagreements or complaints regarding special education services for their children at school sites or districtwide. She also provides training to special education stakeholders that covers navigating special education services, IEPs, engaging and empowering SFUSD families, and other issues related to special education services and families. She is also the educational surrogate coordinator for the district, which matches students in need with volunteers to help advocate for their educational needs.

Savage states that she desires to “help SFUSD parents successfully communicate with special education and general education staff on behalf of their students, while celebrating the hard work that SFUSD administrators and staff do daily to educate all students.” She feels there is no better type of parent than an informed parent who is prepared and well-equipped to communicate with others on behalf of their loved ones.