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Become an Educational Surrogate Parent

Published December 5, 2014

Help a student find a pathway to success by joining the Educational Surrogate Parent program.

What is an Educational Surrogate Parent?

An educational surrogate parent is an individual who has been appointed to represent the educational interests of a child with disabilities when:

  • No parent can be identified;
  • The parent cannot be located;
  • The child is a ward of the state.

What are the responsibilities?

An educational surrogate parent:

  • Learns about the student’s educational needs by getting acquainted with the student, communicating with personnel involved in the student’s education and/or care and observing the student at school;
  • Acts as the student’s advocate for educational matters;
  • Provides or withholds consent for assessment and services/placement;
  • Attends educational meetings on the student’s behalf;
  • Works with school staff to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the student;
  • Abides by the laws of confidentiality when sharing information about the student.

How does one become an Educational Surrogate Parent?

By volunteering as an educational surrogate parent, he/she becomes an important member of a team in determining and ensuring a child receives a free and appropriate public education. If you are interested in being an educational surrogate parent for Williamson County Schools, you must:

Contact Kimberly Palmer, Projects Specialist for WCS, at kimp3@wcs.edu or (615) 472-4132.
Attend a Williamson County Surrogate Parent training session. The training sessions will be scheduled as the need arises.