About Us
Oakring Education was founded in 2023 by Emily, a licensed school psychologist (Indiana and Ohio).
Oakring Education
Oakring Education helps K–12 school districts strengthen special education compliance – with a focus on psychological evaluation practices.
Founded by a licensed school psychologist with over a decade of experience in education, quality assurance, and program oversight, Oakring partners with districts that need support navigating referral timelines, evaluation procedures, and legal practices under IDEA. As staffing shortages worsen and special education referral rates skyrocket, we are here to support you.
We specialize in helping teams improve the integrity, consistency, and efficiency of their evaluation processes—from the initial stages of referral to eligibility determination. Whether you’re facing audit risk, staffing transitions, difficulty interpreting or using referral data, or workflow challenges, we offer practical consulting that meets your district where it is.
Emily, Founder & Lead Consultant
The story. One year into her licensed career as a school psychologist, Emily became the sole school psychologist at her 10-building district. Staring down 32 referrals for early childhood and K-12 students for September alone, Emily implemented streamlined evaluation processes, collaborated with early childhood multidisciplinary teams to redesign testing procedures, trained new diagnostician staff on assessment practices, and co-developed virtual assessment procedures that remain in use. She also drank a lot of coffee.
Your colleague. Emily is a dedicated educator and licensed school psychologist, with a firm commitment to helping schools serve students with care, clarity, and compliance. She has a passion for building strengths-based supports that lead to long-term success for students with disabilities – and the educators who support them. With over a decade of experience in K-12 and higher education, and having completed over 400 IEP evaluations from consent to eligibility, she has experienced the real challenges of special education compliance. Colleagues recognize her for making even the most technical processes feel simple, with work that is grounded in empathy, collaboration, and humble expertise. She founded Oakring to support public school districts navigate the difficulties of special education compliance, without losing sight of the students at the center of it all.
The nitty-gritty. Emily holds school psychologist licensure in Indiana and Ohio. Her background includes work as a school psychologist at a 10-building school district in Northeast Indiana and, before that, as a full-time professor and academic program director at a nonprofit university. She continues to teach psychology as an adjunct professor, with a focus on human development and psych assessment.
Learn more about Emily here.
Why an oakring?
The name Oakring is inspired by the rings of an oak tree. Each ring tells a story of growth, resilience, and time. Some rings mark seasons of ideal conditions and flourishing; others mark seasons shaped by drought, fire, or strain. But together, they form the strength and identity of the tree.
At Oakring, we believe the same is true of students, educators, and school systems. Our work in special education compliance is grounded in the idea that real growth includes both challenge and progress. We partner with public school districts to support compliance processes from referral to eligibility with care, clarity, and respect for the people doing the work – and for the students we serve.
Just like the rings of an oak, every step matters and tells a story – one that we can tell together.
Oakring Education 