Meet the Team
Mary Fernandes is the Founder of Fernandes Education Advocates which serves families seeking special education services in all five boroughs of New York City. As a former special educator in the NYC Public Schools and parent of a child with autism, it is her mission to assist parents through the complexities of obtaining an appropriate education for their child. As an experienced litigation paralegal in the field of special education law, she also has a deep understanding of how to navigate a system which is complex and confusing for parents. Mary is an amateur violinist who plays in an NYC volunteer orchestra. She loves to travel, snorkel and dine in restaurants in NYC with her family and friends. Mary also just loves to spend time at home with her loved ones as well as her fish and five lovely cats.
Mary Fernandes
Founder and Parent Advocate
We are thrilled to have Joel Roberts-Robles on our team at Fernandes Education Advocates. Joel is an experienced educator and passionate advocate for the rights of students with special needs. Joel is a Brooklyn native and graduated from RRG High School, City College of New York (undergraduate), Pace University, and Mercy University (graduate & specialist degrees). Joel has over 20 years in public education serving in various roles as a teacher, special education coordinator, interventionist, assistant principal, principal, and district special education administrator. Joel specializes in restorative practices and working with neurodivergent populations. As a Wallace Fellow and NYC Teaching Fellow, he championed initiatives for work-based learning, student nutrition and wellness, fine arts, and student agency. Joel has worked with schools and stakeholders to restructure and support community needs and build partnerships that enhance student learning while in service. Joel enables and develops systems to address opportunity gaps and promotes the power of dialogue and fair process in community decision-making and K-12 learning. An avid sport fisher, dancer, and bookworm, Joel is excited to bring his various skills to the Fernandes Education Advocates team and beyond!
