Dr. Jessica Berry
My own story with special education did not start on the advocate's side of the table. It started as a student. I have dyslexia, and I grew up with an IEP of my own. I needed that support, and I would not have made it through school without it. But I also figured out early how to use it to get out of doing things I did not want to do. If I told a teacher I did not know how to read something, I would often end up paired with my best friend instead of working through it alone, and that always sounded a lot more fun than actually doing the work. My parents saw through that pretty quickly. They knew I understood more than I let on, and they pushed me to show it, which is exactly what I needed. They learned the system inside and out, pushed when they needed to push, and made sure I got exactly the support I needed, not more, not less. That experience shaped how I saw this work long before I ever sat on the other side of the table.
I spent over 15 years inside Texas schools, first as a classroom teacher, then as a campus administrator. I sat on the other side of those Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) tables hundreds of times. I know exactly how those meetings are run, what the paperwork means, and where the system creates barriers for families.
What I saw, over and over again, was parents walking into those meetings feeling completely alone. They weren't given the information they needed to participate meaningfully. They left not knowing what had just been decided about their child's education, or whether they even had the right to push back.
Before founding Berry Empowered, I served as an elementary school principal in Houston ISD. My time there, and the questions it raised for me about how schools serve students with disabilities, is part of what led me directly to this work.
That is not okay. And it's exactly why I founded Berry Empowered LLC.
With a doctorate in education, with a focus in ethical leadership, and years of experience at every level of the Texas school system, I can walk beside you and translate everything: the jargon, the process, the paperwork, and your rights. My goal isn't to fight on your behalf. It's to help you become the kind of advocate your child needs you to be, for every meeting ahead.
Because you are not a guest at that table. You are a required member of your child's team.
Let's work together →