Welcome to
WholeheartEd Advocacy Consultants
supporting parents and guardians of exceptional students

We are so glad that you are here. Our goal is to partner with you to make your educational journey easier. As educators and parents, we have been there, and we get it! Navigating the world of education can be challenging, frustrating, and lonely. But, you don't have to do it alone!

Our Services

We are professional educators and parents. We have navigated the educational system from both of these places and are able to bring a unique perspective and skill set to your educational needs.

We are here to partner with you every step of the way.

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Some of the ways we can help you and your child include:

Navigating all school systems: public, private, charter, online, homeschool, etc.
Point of communication between families, teachers, schools, therapists, education personnel, and/or other stakeholders
Attending school meetings in person or virtually
Guiding you through the Special Education evaluation process
Understanding IEP and 504 plans
Reviewing and offering improved suggestions for IEP and 504 plans
Partnering with you and the school to ensure the best environment and needs for your child
Advocating in a firm and fair way for your child and family
Helping you understand school discipline
Ensuring that your student's rights are being met including equity, inclusion, and LGBTQIA+ rights
Consulting as non-attorneys regarding school law
And, much more, just ask!

Please note that we are not attorneys, and our consultation services do not take the place of legal advice. We provide free initial consultations and are happy to recommend a school attorney should you need one.

WholeheartEd Advocacy Consultants supports the rights of students and their families to have full access to public educational institutions regardless of ability, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ethnicity or immigration status.

Our Process

Initial Consultation

Whether you are ready to work with us or want to explore the process more, please fill out the form below. We will be in touch soon to schedule your free 20-minute consultation.

More Info

In-depth Intake

To best serve you, we want to know as much as possible about your child, their schooling experience, their life outside of school, school history, relevant medical history, and more. During the intake, we will also explore your ideal resolution to help your child as much as possible.

Recommendation Meeting

Based on your goals, the intake information, and our professional expertise, we will discuss next steps and how our team can best assist you. Some examples of next steps may include an IEP review, an in-person meeting with the school, and more. We will work together to find the next best steps for you.

Our Educational Stories

Carrie Jarvis brings a unique blend of professional and personal expertise to all clients. Professionally, she was a public school educator for 20+ years at the secondary level holding the roles of English teacher, college counselor, dean of students, and assistant principal. During this time, Carrie worked with countless families to help their children achieve success and happiness at school. Success looks different for every child and every family. Carrie's goal is to help each family find their version of school success. Personally, Carrie is a parent to two neurodivergent kids. Like you, she has had to navigate the school system from the parental perspective. Even with her professional expertise, Carrie has worked to overcome challenging and frustrating situations on behalf of her own kids. She wants to be in your corner helping to ease the burden and exhaustion of advocacy. Carrie knows, firsthand, how to advocate for kids both as a parent and educator.

The fine print:

BA English Education & Certificate Sexuality Studies, University of IA
MEd Instructional Leadership, University of Illinois at Chicago
EdS School Administration, University of Saint Thomas, MN
Licensed 5-12 Communications/Language Arts Teacher, MN
Licensed K-12 School Principal, MN
Certified Cognitive Coach
Handlettering and visual artist

Brooke Deacon earned her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education with licensure in Specific Learning Disabilities and Emotional Behavioral Disorders. Additionally, she has experience as a special educator supporting students with Other Health Disabilities/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delay, and Developmental Cognitive Disability. Brooke holds a Master’s degree in Education in Differentiated Instruction and has taught in both the in-person and virtual classroom settings. She also has professional experience as a corporate trainer and learning and development consultant.

As a special education teacher, the most important part of Brooke's work was to advocate for children and families and helping students struggling to find their way. She believes in schools making data driven decisions and enjoys creative problem solving and helping families understand their child’s educational rights.

As a parent, Brooke has experience advocating for schools to evaluate, provide support, take action when appropriate, and meet ongoing needs. Having knowledge of how the process works and why decisions are made is helpful at every level of the special education process. Brooke's goal is to share that knowledge with you and your family.

The fine print:

Bachelor’s degree in Special Education through Minnesota State University, Moorhead
Master’s degree in Education in Differentiated Instruction through Concordia University, St. Paul
Licensed K-12 Special Education Teacher, MN
Informed in PBIS and RTI practices
Phonics, fluency and reading comprehension tutor

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of services do you provide?

Navigating all school systems: public, private, charter, online, homeschool, etc.
Point of communication between families, teachers, schools, therapists, education personnel, and/or other stakeholders
Attending school meetings in person or virtually
Guiding you through the Special Education evaluation process
Understanding IEP and 504 plans
Reviewing and offering improved suggestions for IEP and 504 plans
Partnering with you and the school to ensure the best environment and needs for your child
Advocating in a firm and fair way for your child and family
Helping you understand school discipline
Ensuring that your student's rights are being met including equity, inclusion, and LGBTQIA+ rights
Consulting as non-attorneys regarding school law
And, much more, just ask!

How much do your services cost?

Please click here to see our current pricing guide. We offer in-person, remote, and indirect services.

Are you licensed or insured?

Advocates do not require licenses to provide consulting services in the United States. We currently hold educational licenses in the state of Minnesota. We are also insured as an LLC.

What is your service area?

We provide in-person and remote services within the Twin Cities, MN. We are able to provide remote consulting and limited support outside of this area.

Does my child need to have an IEP to benefit from your services?

No! Sometimes the most difficult part of navigating special education is in the early stages of identification and throughout the evaluation process. Please contact us for a free consultation if you are having any questions or concerns regarding your child’s education.

Do you only support students with special education needs?

No! We advocate for all students from health-related needs that might require a 504 plan to ensuring that schools are following appropriate disciplinary procedures. We are passionate about equity and inclusion for all students.

Aren’t there free advocacy services available? Why should I hire you?

We know that you have a choice in services to support your child and family including free volunteer services. When you hire WholeheartEd Advocacy Consultants, you are guaranteed a professional educational consultant, dedicated to your case and able to take the time to get to know you and your child. Our consultants can help coordinate communications, make recommendations based on documentation history, represent you at formal and informal meetings, and document our support along the way for your records. We always offer a free initial consultation to ensure we are a good fit for your needs.

When working with a free advocacy service, you are oftentimes working with a parent volunteer. While that person may be knowledgeable regarding their own child’s needs, they may not have the breadth of experience and knowledge that we bring to the table as parents who are also educators with 20+ years of experience.

Should I hire an attorney instead?

While your child’s education may not be in compliance with educational policies and laws, many times this is due to inexperience or ignorance versus a willful denial of services. These situations can often be rectified during a school meeting with a knowledgeable advocate by your side providing a swift and positive outcome without the need for legal costs. We always offer a free initial consultation to ensure we are a good fit for you and can recommend a school attorney if your needs are beyond the scope of our advocacy services.

The school says that there just isn’t anything else they can do, even if I get an advocate. How can you help?

Sometimes a solution to a big problem can be solved with creative thinking and an outside perspective. As your advocate, we can help you and your school’s team navigate barriers that prevent your child from reaching their full potential. We are also knowledgeable in what is expected and included in providing your child with FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education).

I don't know what I need, but I need help! How can you help me?

We completely understand the frustration and confusion of not knowing the best way to help your child; that's where we come in! With our professional and personal experience, we will help guide you and give you options for ideas and next steps. We are here to partner with you and be by your side every step of the way.

Do you support teachers?

Yes! We are here to support teachers at any stage of their career. Let us help you with job searches, résumés, cover letters, interviews, observations, etc. Please email carrie@wholeheartedmn.com to discuss these services and pricing options further.

Client Testimonials

Diana, Eagan

I was exhausted, burnt out, and plain defeated. I felt like the school wasn't listening to me or my child. I didn't want to be "that parent", but I didn't know what else to do. Then I found Brooke.

She was patient, kind, empathetic, and made me feel supported and sane! She explained things in a way that was easy to understand and took the time to answer my millions of questions. Brooke prepared me so when I met with the school again, I felt ready to advocate for my child in a new and better way.

This service is invaluable!

Jessie, Saint Paul

I was terrified when my 4-year old was put on an IEP. I was already scared because he wasn't developing normally. Then suddenly, all kinds of acronyms were being thrown around, and there seemed to be tension between schools and parents, like the school would try to give my kid less than he needed, and I would have to fight for it. But, I didn't know what he needed. All I knew was that he couldn't talk, couldn't hold a crayon, and couldn't play with other kids. I thought this would be easy for me to navigate, since I am a family doctor with loads of education and a good understanding of childhood development. But, when it came to dealing with my own kid in the school system, I felt like a deer in headlights.

Fortunately, Carrie partnered with me and attended his first IEP meeting with me. She acted as a bridge, a translator, an advocate, and most of all, as moral support at a time when I felt overwhelmed and clueless. She continued to help as we transferred schools and eventually transitioned to a 504 plan (more acronyms!). I am so grateful to have Carrie by my side to navigate these unfamiliar systems.

Heather, Saint Paul

When we started having Carrie work with us to figure out what was going on and what needed to happen, so much of the stress and anxiety disappeared. Knowing that things aren't how they should, could, or need to be for your kiddo at school is incredibly difficult. Figuring out what to do about the things that aren't right for them is equally hard. Even as a parent with some experience with IEPs, support needs and the like.

Because Carrie knew the questions to ask, the things to request, and who to talk to, there was no more trying to guess what we needed to know, who we needed to ask, or what we wanted to have happen to improve the situation for our kiddo. Additionally, the second that the school knew we had called in an outside professional they stood up and took notice. Things that we had requested and/or been fighting for started to happen. Carrie also knew of things that we could request for our kiddo that would never have been offered, but that made all of the difference.

Having Carrie involved brought us an incredible peace of mind - we knew we hadn’t missed anything and were well and truly in a situation where all the issues were being addressed.

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