Hi.
My name is Beth Staton. I help families navigate issues around education, placement, and services for complex kids.
I have a master’s degree in Conflict Management as well as a Justice and Organizations graduate certificate from Kennesaw State University’s School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding, and Development. I have worked with the US Department of Education’s national center for dispute resolution in special education. I am a registered neutral with Georgia’s Supreme Court office of Dispute Resolution. I am a contracted, professional facilitator with the Georgia Department of Education’s Family Engagement and Dispute Resolution unit.
But this isn’t LinkedIn so you’re probably not here to learn about my professional background. What probably matters to you is this: If you’re feeling lost or stuck or overwhelmed by the complexity of your child’s educational journey, I can help.
I offer independent educational advising, advocacy and coaching services, and person-centered planning services to individuals and families. If these services can be helpful to you, please reach out to me via the Contact Me page.
Always in hope,
Beth
Independent Educational Advising
In many situations, education sets the trajectory for the adventure that is life. How are your child’s educational experiences preparing them for the journey? As a neutral and independent educational advisor, I can provide guidance for informed decision-making about your child’s educational placements and opportunities. The goal is always a full, flourishing, and enviable life. Let’s plan with that in mind.
Advocacy and Coaching
Sometimes you need an advocate to go to meetings with you. This person functions as an impartial presence to help navigate complicated situations. A lot of us automatically assume that this is what an advocate does.
But we want what’s appropriate, not what’s automatic. Maybe you need an advocate with you all of the time, or some of the time, or maybe even… none of the time. As a professional, it’s my role to offer a range of appropriate supports. Maybe you’re preparing for mediation and want to know what to expect. Maybe it’s time to begin planning the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
In some situations, the most appropriate approach is for us to work together to develop your self-advocacy skills. In this way, I am happily working myself out of a job as a traditional advocate. We can work together to develop the skills that you will take into every meeting for the next 20 years.
Person-centered Planning
Historically, many decision-making processes focused on a person’s deficits or how they can change to fit into a system.
Yuck.
Person-centered planning flips that thinking upside down. It is a set of processes that focuses on the persons that are closest to an issue. So if it’s your life, who is closest to it? You, of course! And who is *always* going to be a part of your child’s journey? your child. We have so many appropriate and flexible ways to involve them in the process.
We can use Person-centered planning at any time, but it is especially useful for transitions (elementary to middle school; middle school to high school; adolescence to adulthood).
