Special Education

At Aspire Public Schools, we serve all children. We provide a comprehensive Special Education program with specialized academic instruction and support, and a range of all related services.  We believe all children have the right to be part of the whole school community. Aspire’s priority is to coordinate and integrate all components of the instructional program to ensure ALL students receive what they need to make progress.

Aspire’s Special Education delivery will support all students in the Least Restrictive Environment through inclusive practices, working with families, communities, and school site teams within the core program to address the unique needs of diverse learners.

Families: It is our priority to partner closely with families in their child’s education journey, particularly the development of their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) process. To best serve all of our families, Aspire Public Schools has highly accessible and responsive Special Education across our 3 regions and 36 schools.

In our Secondary Program, a collaborative effort between College Guidance Counselors and Special Education Post-Secondary Transition Planning ensures students are prepared for appropriate choices for continued learning, career planning, and/or independent living.

Aspire schools have highly qualified special educators and related service providers who support students with Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe disabilities across our 36 schools in California.

Teammates: As a Special Education teammate at Aspire, you are part of a Professional Learning Community with role-alike peers across your region, which includes dedicated opportunities for professional development and professional growth.

Depending on location, Aspire schools are members of one of the following:

• California El Dorado County Office of Ed Charter SELPA
  • Direct Link to Governance information including Local Plan
  • Notices of Public Hearing for the 2023-24 El Dorado Charter SELPA Annual Budget and Service Plans in English
  • Notices of Public Hearing for the 2023-24 El Dorado Charter SELPA Annual Budget and Service Plans in Spanish
• Los Angeles Unified School District SELPA

Information regarding each Aspire school’s Child Find, Student Study Team (SST), or Response to Intervention (RtI) process may be found on our individual school pages.

Special Education Contact Information:

Los Angeles Region
Evonda Bullard, Special Projects Manager (SEIS/Welligent Support and Oversight)
Ana Escalante, Regional Director of Special Education

Bay Area Region
Mayra Martinez, Special Projects Manager (SEIS Support and Oversight)
Kevin Nazario, Regional Director of Special Education

Central Valley Region
Rebecca Chi, Special Projects Manager (SEIS Support and Oversight)
Raquel Sheetz, Regional Director of Special Education

Home Office
Rainy Bruce, Director of Specialized Programs
Meghann Cazale, Senior Director of Special Education