Patricia has over 20 years of experience in education law. She represented families in special education hearings for three years, including children in the child welfare system. For the past 17 years, she has concentrated her work on the rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness. She was the primary legal architect of ESSA's amendments to the McKinney-Vento Act. She also worked for 6 months as the Washington State Coordinator for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and has taught high school.