Julia Martin joined SFUSD in July 2019 as the Special Education Ombudperson. In this role she works as the family, community and staff liaison for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). In addition to being the Family and Community Engagement lead for Special Education Services, her office can:

• Assist parents and guardians in navigating Special Education Services and when they have concerns regarding special education services for their children at school sites or districtwide.
• Provide training to SFUSD and San Francisco community stakeholders, such as Navigating Special Education Services, IEP 101, Engaging and Empowering SFUSD Families, Effective Communication between Special Education Families and Educators, and other issues related to special education services and families.
• Address the need for educational surrogate assignment (Ms. Martin is the educational surrogate coordinator for the district, which matches students in need of representation with volunteers to help advocate for their educational needs.

Ms. Martin states that she "is very excited to be taking on the Special Education Ombudsperson position in SFUSD. Supporting the rights of students with disabilities and educating families is my passion". Over the last 12 years, Ms. Martin has worked with hundreds of families to help them navigate the maze of supports, therapies and accommodations to access their education.

For the last four years she has been an active member of the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education and Co-Chair of SFUSD's district-wide Inclusive Schools Week Committee, responsible for sharing the message of inclusivity to all 136 schools within SFUSD.

Her help is confidential, free of charge to all SFUSD families and often leads to resolutions before legal action is needed. If needed, translation/interpretation can be provided.

If you have a question or concern regarding Special Education Services and need to get in contact with her, visit her at the Office of Family and Community Engagement at 555 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 or call her at 415-447-7802. She can be emailed at martinj5@sfusd.edu.