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Oakland School for the Arts

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https://www.oakarts.org/Academics/Special-Education/
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Oakland School for the Arts

Special Education

Services

Services

OSA is committed to serving students with disabilities in the General Education environment. Students with IEPs access specialized academic instruction through a combination of different services, including push-in and pull-out support. The Education Specialists closely collaborate with General Education teachers and administration to ensure implementation of students' accommodations, modifications, services, and supports. Any needed additional services, such as Speech or Counseling, are provided for students with Individualized Education Plans.
 
SELPA

SELPA

Oakland School for the Arts has partnered with the El Dorado Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) to provide services to our students. Their local plan, annual budget, and service plan are available online. The SELPA is a consortium of schools and school districts responsible for the development of special education policies and procedures, distribution of federal and state special education funds, and providing a range of professional development pertaining to special education. With this support, OSA demonstrates the capacity to provide high-quality special education programs to our students. We encourage you to review the parent resource page and consider participating in the Community Advisory Committee. For more information on the SELPA governance, please click here for more resources
Staff

Staff

Sara Ordaz, Director of Special Education 
David Padula, Education Specialist 
Laura Aranda, Educational Specialist
Chris Diener- Education Specialist
Polly Herrmann- Education Specialist
Fiona Tyler- Education Specialist
Molly Monarch- Paraeducator
Kristelle Manassian- Paraeducator
Rana Khan- Paraeducator
David Gatewood- Paraeducator
Emmett Richardson- Paraeducator
Vicki Siegel- Speech Therapist
Sara Ordaz
Dr. sara ordaz

    Director of Special Education
Dr. sara ordaz

 
My journey began working as a Special Education Teacher at Seneca Family of Agencies teaching middle school. After my first year of teaching, I realized that I had a special bond with students who had experienced severe trauma and marginalization and that is where my passion for special education began. In my nine years of teaching there, some of my responsibilities included: managing IEP files and documents to maintain compliance with Special Education Law, maintaining effective classroom management and discipline and creating engaging lessons for students in a variety of academic abilities, generating and incorporating learning strategies for students with learning disabilities, collaborating with school administrators, parents, and outside providers in designing and implementing individualized education plans for students, engaging in conflict resolution with students and creating a safe place for students to be themselves. Throughout these nine years, I worked with a diverse range of emotional, physical and cultural backgrounds in one of the most highly restrictive educational settings that exist and it shaped who I am today and the lens I bring into this work.
 
In addition to teaching, I am also a lifelong learner. I received my bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development from SFSU, my Master’s degree in Special Education from CSUS and my Doctorate in Special Education/Disability Studies from USF. 
 
I have dedicated my life to serving and supporting one of the largest groups of marginalized students and I look forward to continuing that work at OSA.