We believe the best outcomes happen when parents and schools work together, united by one goal: helping every child get what they need to reach their full potential.
For more than 32 years, Dr. Long has sat at the IEP table — first as a special education teacher, then as a school administrator, and finally as a Director of Special Education in an urban district.
With a Ph.D. in Special Education and Multiple Abilities, as well as graduate degrees in Educational Leadership and Educational Psychology, Dr. Long brings extensive experience in instructional design for students with disabilities. She has developed, reviewed, supervised, and approved thousands of IEPs, Behavior Intervention plans, Section 504 plans, and the meetings that accompany them. This experience gives her an important insider view of the special education process.
She knows first hand how natural it is for parents to walk into a meeting feeling protective of their child. The special education system, IDEA, and Section 504 can be complicated, unfamiliar, and overwhelming. When the conversation is about your child — their struggles, their future, and what they need to succeed — it is deeply personal. What may feel like a routine meeting to a school district can feel anything but routine to a parent.
Teachers, administrators, and district personnel may enter meetings anticipating conflict or expecting parents to be defensive. Dr. Long believes these moments are an opportunity for educators to be advocates for children, partners with families, and builders of trust.
This belief shaped her career, fueled her passion, and created Same Team.
Same Team exists to help families navigate the special education and 504 process while strengthening — not damaging — the relationship between home and school. It helps parents come to the table informed and prepared, helps educators recognize parents as essential partners, and keeps everyone focused on one common goal — the student.
An advocate for the child, not an adversary to the school.
Special education does not have to become parents versus schools. That is not what we believe — and it is not what the child needs.
Same Team is built on a simple idea: parents, teachers, and administrators are on the same team, with the child's success at the center. We help parents understand their child's needs, know what supports and services may be appropriate, and bring concerns and solutions to the table in a clear, informed, and constructive way.
Our goal is not to create conflict. It is to help families get their children what they need while strengthening the partnership between home and school. Because when everyone is working together for the child, students win.
“Parents shouldn't have to choose between advocating for their child and partnering with their school. When everyone is informed, prepared, and focused on what the child needs, students win. That's why we created Same Team.”
— Elizabeth, Founder
Getting children the services they need. Growing the partnership between home and school. Moving forward together.
That is Same Team. And that is how students win.
Membership brings the tools, the answer library, and expert help together in one place.
Get started →
Same Team