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Special Education

Welcome

Welcome

The Salinas Union High School District Office of Special Education Services provides supports, resources, guidance, and professional development opportunities to district school site staff, parents, and teachers in an effort to engage students in dynamic learning opportunities that encourage the development of requisite skills that enable students to create interesting and productive lives.The Special Education Services Department provides a continuum of programs, services, and supports for students with special needs from 7th grade through age 22. The SUSHD’s goal is to provide the services and supports necessary to enable students with disabilities to access curricular and extra-curricular activities in the general education setting.

Our role is to support the vision and mission of our district’s Special Education Services Department:

Vision: The Salinas Union High School District Special Education Services Department will support the needs of students with diverse disabilities to ensure they know their rights and are prepared to further their education and/or training to achieve sustainable employment. 

Mission:  The mission of the Salinas Union High School District Special Education Services Department is to identify and meet the diverse needs of each student with disabilities in order to maximize their independence with dignity. 
child find

child find

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires all states to implement a policy to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities. This includes all school districts.
 
One method of locating and identifying children with a suspected disability is the Child Find program.
 
The Child Find program requires all school districts in California to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with a suspected disability, regardless of the severity. School districts are required to identify all children who may need special education services even if the district is not currently providing special education services to the child.
 
The following children are included under the Child Find mandate:
  • Children from birth to age 21
  • Children who attend public and private school
  • Children of migrant families
  • Children of homeless families
  • Children who are wards of the state
 
If you suspect a child has a disability, please contact the SUHSD Special Education Services Department at (831) 796-7050.
 
Contacts

Contacts

Special Education Services Department
Location: 584 South Main Street Salinas, CA 93901
Phone: (831) 796-7050
Fax:      (831) 796-7033
Email: SpecialEducationServices@salinasuhsd.org
 
Jennifer Smith
Director, Special Education Services
831-796-7050 ext. 1079
 
Assistant Director for Mild/Moderate Programs- Brendan Bloom-Sweeney
Brendan Bloom-Sweeney

Assistant Director Extensive Support Needs (ESN) Program
Office at the Adult Transition Program (ATP)
831-796-6900 ext. 1027

 

Elizabeth Baltazar

Assistant Director Mild/Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) Program 
831-796-7050 ext. 1420

Renate Rios

Senior Administrative Secretary to Director
831-796-7050 ext. 1079

Jessica Jimenez-Tafolla
Administrative Secretary to Assistant Directors
831-796-7050 ext. 1027

VACANCY
Parent Involvement Coordinator
831-796-7050  ext. 1120

Graciela Martinez
Student Information System Specialist
(SIRAS, web-based IEP system)
831-796-7050 ext. 1029

Timothy Martinez
Typist Clerk II  

831-796-7050 ext. 1027

icon of a fillable document with a writing utensil   Records Requests (follow link to request form)

               Fill out, print, and email to SpecialEducationServices@salinasuhsd.org


Veronica Espinoza
Instructional Coach
Extensive Support Needs (ESN) Program
831-796-7050  ext. 1069

Desiree Williams
Instructional Coach
Mild/Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) Program
831-796-7050  ext. 1068

VACANCY
Itinerant Ed Specailist  

Susan Meade
Itinerant Ed Specailist

 

Special Education Interpreter/Translators

Beatriz Martinez  ext. 1064

David Morales      ext. 1064
Yesenia Acevedo ext. 1060

Monica Cortez      ext. 1062  
Brenda Gonzales ext. 1061  
Lizbeth Gregorio  ext. 1064
Giovana PalacioSilva  ext. 1067  

Itinerant Services
Beverly Grant, Special Education Department Nurse
Dr. Antony Thomas, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
VACANCY, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
Cora Petrino, Occupational Therapist (AHS, SHS, ESMS, WMS, LPMS)
Shilea Olson, Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)
Lisa Lewis, Occupational Therapist (EAHS, NSHS, RSJHS, HMS, SEC)
Heather Penley, Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)
Berlin Bernaldo, Adaptive Physical Education (APE)
Kelsi Jordan-Griffith, Physical Therapist (PT)

Vocational Education Service Providers
April Davis, Vocational Evaluator
831-753-4209 ext. 1212

Lucia Rodriguez, Vocational Evaluator
831-753-4209 ext. 1210  

Rachel Barnes, Transition Partnership Program Job Developer
831-753-4209 ext. 1209

Katrina Shah, Transitional Partnership Program Job Developer
831-753-4209 ext.1249  

Audrey Sharp, Transition Coordinator/Vocational
831-753-4209 ext. 1211