7. Education Advocate
Fight the system -- or at least negotiate it -- to get children with special needs the right education.
Why Now?
Families with special-needs children face a complex, fast-changing set of options. About 14 percent of the school population, or 6.7 million students, are using special services. That's up 20 percent from 10 years ago, according to U.S. Department of Education statistics. Diagnoses range from dyslexia to bipolar disorder. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act says that the federal government will fund up to 40 percent of costs for disabled students; in 2007, it contributed less than 18 percent. Congress, the courts, local districts, and parents are debating how to deliver the best special education.
Getting In
Lorraine Saari had spent 20 years in classrooms, principals' offices, and school board meetings, advocating for her own four kids (now grown), all of whom had special needs. Her epiphany a few years ago: Why not use that hard-won savvy to help other parents -- and earn a living? "I wanted to help families be families rather than case managers," Saari says. Her firm, Safe Harbor Family Solutions, in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, now has three employees. Most clients are parents, but Saari also consults for school systems. Advocates can work solo, in small practices or for law firms that supplement their ranks with nonlawyer advocates. Two good routes in: teaching and social work.
Pay and Perks
An advocate working for a nonprofit can earn up to $60,000 a year, depending on her experience and the organization, says Susan Henderson, head of the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund. Independent consultants can charge a lot more, up to $100 an hour, she says.
Must Love
Kids, parents, teachers -- and bureaucrats.
To Find Out More
Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates
