Our Team
Our advocacy team has the advantage of multi-role experience when sitting at the IEP table: among the three of us, we’ve attended meetings as teachers, IEP chairs, administrators, and parents. We deeply understand the scope of parent rights guaranteed under the law and we strive to empower families to advocate confidently on behalf of their child.
Katy chib: Founder & Education consultant
My passion for advocacy developed in the classroom. I started out as a substitute teacher in rural Michigan but spent the majority of my teaching career working with students with disabilities in central and southern Los Angeles. Later, as an IEP chair and school administrator, I gained an intricate knowledge of best practice in writing and implementing hundreds of IEPs but also learned to navigate the “system”: the mechanisms through which school teams can deny services to students.
My related credentialing includes an M.S. in Special Education and Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) Certification from the University of LaVerne, Autism Authorization from UCLA, and School Leadership and Administration from Johns Hopkins. COPAA member and registered special education advocate.
Swinita Shah: Special Education Advocate
My name is Swinita Shah and I use a skill set that doubles as a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. I moved into advocacy after growing up as a special needs sibling and my goal is to provide mindful advocacy that comes from lived experience.
With a Masters from Baylor University, my education further enhances my dedication to delivering tailored advocacy for parents as they navigate the special education process. I am a COPAA member and registered special education advocate.
I also own Charm City Speech and can offer interested Beacon clients specialized and inclusive speech pathology services. My goal is to be able to provide assessments, therapy sessions, in-school observations and caregiver coaching to optimize my approach to advocacy.
Shanice Hendrix: Advocate & FAmily Coach
I am Shanice, a native of Baltimore County and a mother of 4. My journey to becoming a special education advocate happened organically by being motivated to advocate for my son’s educational needs and refusing to settle for less than what I knew he needed, which led to eventual private placement.
I have learned the ropes by living through the process: I’ve attended countless IEP team meetings and have learned to how to work with a school team—rather than against them—to get what a child needs. As a parent I know first-hand what it’s like to want so much for your child—especially when they have unique needs that the school struggles to support—and persevere to see those things happen.