Guidance rooted in experience, compassion, and collaboration.
Our approach is collaborative, child-centered, and solution-focused. We provide clear guidance, education, and advocacy to help families understand their child’s needs, navigate school-based processes, and feel more confident in important decisions. We guide families through the special education process and help build strong family-school partnerships that support student success. By working alongside families and school teams, we help ensure each child’s needs are clearly identified, understood, and supported.
Our Team
Meet the advocates behind Marvelous Minds.
Darci Carter
Founder, School Psychologist & Special Education Advocate
Darci Carter founded Marvelous Minds Advocacy in May 2022 after serving as a School Psychologist with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for more than eight years and providing advocacy services through Southeast Psych for over 12 years. With more than 20 years of experience advocating for children’s educational rights, Darci is passionate about supporting, guiding, and educating families of children with disabilities.
Darci’s approach to advocacy is centered on putting the child first while building positive, collaborative relationships between families and schools. Her goal is to bring families and schools together to solve challenges and build effective support plans for students.She supports families throughout the Special Education and Section 504 processes by reviewing records and formal assessments, interpreting evaluations, providing recommendations for current and future IEPs and 504 Plans, and attending school meetings. In addition, Darci offers guidance related to behavior intervention plans, conducts school observations, and advocates for students’ educational rights and services. She also serves as a liaison between schools and outside clinicians or service providers to encourage effective communication and coordinated support for students.
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With her specialist degree in School Psychology, Darci is uniquely qualified to interpret educational assessment results and provide meaningful recommendations for school-based implementation. She also helps families explore educational settings and community opportunities that best support their child’s academic, behavioral, social, and emotional growth.
Outside of her work advocating for children, Darci enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors through hiking and RV adventures with her husband, and spending time with her two adult daughters and their Silver Labrador Retriever, Sully. She is also proud to have served as a board member of the North Carolina Branch of the International Dyslexia Association and as Treasurer of the South Carolina Field Hockey Association.
Katie Rowland
Special Education Consultant & Advocate
Katie is a dedicated special education advocate with over 15 years of experience supporting students with disabilities, their families, and school teams. She brings a unique combination of classroom experience, district-level leadership, and deep knowledge of special education law to help families confidently navigate the IEP process.
Katie holds a Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from NC State University. She has extensive training in reading and math interventions, progress monitoring, behavior supports, and instructional coaching.
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Katie previously served as a District Coordinating Teacher for Exceptional Children, where she partnered closely with schools, administrators, and service providers to ensure that students with disabilities received legally compliant, high-quality educational services.Her district-level experience gives her a strong understanding of how schools make decisions and deliver services, allowing her to help families navigate challenges while fostering productive, student-centered conversations.
Earlier in her career, Katie worked as a middle school special education teacher and later as a Compliance Facilitator and LEA representative. She developed and implemented IEPs, led eligibility meetings, and supported both families and educators through complex decisions with clarity and compassion.
What sets Katie apart is her ability to bridge the gap between families and schools. She understands how overwhelming the process can feel and believes families should never feel uninformed or alone when advocating for their child.
Katie is passionate about helping families feel confident, supported, and prepared—whether they are navigating an IEP, preparing for a meeting, or facing a challenging situation.
In her free time, Katie can usually be found trying to keep up with her seven-year-old son and Labrador, Rex. She and her husband love family hikes, weekend adventures, traveling with friends, cooking, and squeezing in a good book when the chaos allows.
Ready for support?
Navigating school supports can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to learn how Marvelous Minds can provide guidance, advocacy, and support for your family.