Volume 17

September 2023

The ADR Insights is getting a makeover! Starting this month, we are transitioning to a broader newsletter containing information from our South County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) staff. Each month we will be sharing special education information, news from our staff, highlights from our member districts, and events tailored just for you! Keep reading to learn more about our SELPA team.

Visit the SELPA website

Meet the SELPA team!

We are excited to introduce you to the SELPA team, a dedicated group of professionals committed to supporting and enriching the lives of students with disabilities in our community.

Our SELPA team is comprised of passionate individuals who bring a diverse range of expertise and experiences to the table. Each member is dedicated to ensuring that every student, regardless of their unique needs, receives an inclusive and quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential.

Russell Y. Coronado, Executive Director, San Diego South County SELPA

Coronado guides and advocates for the six member school districts and the San Diego County Office of Education in all facets of special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). He has developed a specific emphasis in the area of second language learners, at-risk/promise youth, and under-represented students. He has built a reputation around Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Equity, and Disproportionality, and promoting the social and academic well-being of children throughout San Diego County. Coronado's professional career began as an instructional aide for the San Diego Unified School District. He subsequently became a school psychologist in the Chula Vista Elementary School District. He began his special education administration journey in 2004, served as a school board member, and has been the executive director of the South County SELPA since 2012.

Diana Lynn, Special Education Coordinator

Lynn began her career as a teacher for nine years in National School District before moving to Friendship School, one of the SDCOE's special education schools. For over 13 years, she served as the principal at Friendship School before moving to the SELPA to support our local educational agencies (LEAs) with special education data and accountability, professional development needs, and the Community Advisory Committee (CAC).

Heidi Lyon, Special Education Coordinator

Lyon is a special education coordinator for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). She has over 30 years of experience as a special education teacher (PS-12) and a principal on two comprehensive campuses (PS-6 and 6-8) and an alternative setting (6-12). Most recently, she was the principal at Davila Day School, our SELPA-run separate school specially designed for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (PS-6), and the special education coordinator for DHH Itinerant Services. Mrs. Lyon is passionate about supporting families and district staff through ADR.

Robert Brown, Special Education Coordinator

Brown has been a special day class teacher; resource specialist; behavior specialist; elementary, middle, and high school principal; and special education coordinator and director. Before joining the South County SELPA, Brown was the director of special education at The American School of The Hague in the Netherlands. At the SELPA, he assists districts with low-incidence staffing and coordinates several committees.

Nitza Romero, Special Education Coordinator

Romero joined our team on Sept. 5 from the Sweetwater Union School District, where she was most recently a lead school psychologist. Ms. Romero is bilingual and a Chula Vista native, who has attended schools in San Ysidro, Chula Vista, and Sweetwater. She has worked in public education for over 15 years in South County and comes to our office with extensive experience as a special education administrator.

Cheryl Kaler, Principal, Davila Day School

Kaler has over 25 years of experience in the field of deaf education. She grew up in Los Angeles, on a campus very similar to Vista Square (where Davila Day School is located), where she was blessed with deaf friends and learned ASL at a young age. Her career began as an interpreter and ADA coordinator in Seattle, where she served over 100 deaf students, parents, and staff with all of their K-12 educational needs. She then got her master's from Gallaudet University and became the guidance counselor at Mississippi School for the Deaf. She continued on to get her administrator credentials and served as principal for elementary and secondary campuses.

Kaler's passion is providing comprehensive services that meet the linguistic, academic, social and emotional needs of our deaf and hard of hearing children. She takes pride in building strong relationships with students, staff, and families to achieve this.

Megan Adams, Business Support Assistant

Adams is a New Hampshire native and graduate of Indiana State, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s in criminology and criminal justice. She has over 10 years of experience working in public education, supporting Student Services and Special Education departments. Adams loves being able to provide support to our families, community, and colleagues

Melissa Caguimbaga, Program Clerk

Caguimbaga is a graduate of Sacramento State where she received her bachelor's in health science. The majority of her career has been in human resources, mainly in talent acquisition, a.k.a. recruiting, in various industries. Melissa joined the team in Dec. 2022 and has enjoyed learning about special education as well as attending American Sign Language (ASL) classes. She loves crafting, Disneyland, and recently started to dance Hula.

Brian Thompson, Special Ed. Financial Analyst

Thompson is a graduate of San Diego State University and brings 15 years of experience in public school finance. He joined the team in February after working at San Diego Unified School District. He loves his new role supporting the South County SELPA because it brings new challenges every day. Outside of work, Thompson enjoys gardening, beekeeping, fishing, and snorkeling. His favorite travel destinations are Hawaii and Barcelona.

Laura Cervantes, Special Education Parent Liaison

Cervantes has over 25 years of experience supporting parents in the IEP process. She brings her bilingual Spanish and bicultural experiences when supporting families. She is integral in facilitating and organizing Community Advisory Committee meetings. She is also the mother of a young adult with Autism and has facilitated an Autism Support Group in Spanish for 20 years.

Liliana Armenta, Special Education Parent Liaison

Armenta believes education is the key to parenting. She has dedicated 24 years to our South County community and is humbled to be of service to them. Armenta views it as a privilege to support incredible South County folks willing to educate themselves for the good of their child. "Every day is a learning experience for me, I look forward to many more years of growth within special education.

I hope to work with all of you someday soon."

Mayra Jaramillo, ADR Resource Assistant

Jaramillo facilitates conversations with parents and informs our community of the supports the SELPA provides. She has worked with students and families for over 15 years. Previously, she worked as an instructional assistant in Coronado Unified School District and in 2021 received her master's in education. She is committed to providing opportunities for families to grow and improve students' education journey.

Meet the South County SELPA ED&D team!

Marcus Jackson, Executive Consultant ED&D

Jackson is an executive consultant with South County SELPA’s Equity and Disproportionality team. He supports districts with positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and school culture. He has served as a school psychologist in elementary, middle and high school settings, at comprehensive and alternative settings. Jackson has also been a principal at alternative and comprehensive school sites.

Jennifer Gorospe Tull, Executive Consultant ED&D

Gorospe Tull is an executive consultant with South County SELPA’s Equity and Disproportionality team. She has provided support in comprehensive settings as a school psychologist, program specialist, and special education coordinator in districts (PreK-12) across Southern California and Washington D.C. Her experiences as an educator make her a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Barby Castro, Executive Consultant ED&D

Castro joined our team on Sept. 5 and is an executive consultant with South County SELPA’s Equity and Disproportionality team. She started as an SDC teacher and transitioned to an RSP demonstration teacher. She has held many other positions, with the latest as the assistant director of Instructional Services/SELPA, where she provided system-based instructional and compliance leadership at the district level.

Upcoming Parent Events

Sep. 23 — Annual AD80 Community Resource Fair

Resource fair providing families with information on services and resources available to the community. The event will take place at Memorial Park in Chula Vista (373 Park Way, Chula Vista, CA 91910) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sep. 25 — Sensory Story Time at National City Library

An inclusive story time for children on the second and fourth Monday of the month at 11 a.m. See a full list of National City Library events here.

Oct. 11 — ADR Lunch Chat

Bring your questions to our team and join us virtually from 3 to 3:30 p.m. using the Zoom meeting ID: 851 2590 6937

Oct. 12 — Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Meeting: IEP Basics and Key Components

Join the CAC at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 10 to 11 a.m. to learn about the IEP and its components. Free parking on the top floor of the parking structure.

Oct. 19 to Nov. 16 — Parent IEP Academy - Fall Series

Interested in increasing your understanding of the IEP process? Do you want to feel confident that you have the necessary tools to fully participate in your child’s IEP? Register now for the Parent IEP Academy, which will meet Thursdays on Zoom from 2 to 3 p.m.

Spanish Registration / English Registration

Upcoming Educator Events

Sept. 19 — The Missing Link: Leveraging SLP Expertise to Promote Literacy Development

Presenter: Elizabeth Berine

Presented in partnership with the Diagnostic Center at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 8 a.m. to noon.

Intended Audience: Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLPAs)

Registration

Oct. 17 — Inclusive Education for Students with Mild-Moderate Disabilities

Presenter: Nicole Ward

Presented in partnership with the Diagnostic Center at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Intended Audience: Multidisciplinary teams working with students with mild-moderate disabilities in inclusive settings, however, individual professionals will also benefit. This includes both site and district administrators, special education teachers, general education teachers, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and paraeducators.

Registration

Oct. 19 — Principals Academy: Best Practices for Administrators in IEPs

Presenter: Heidi Lyon

The South County SELPA annual Principals Academy at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Intended Audience: School Principals and Vice/Assistant Principals

Registration

Oct. 23 and 27 — ADOS-2 Introductory Workshop

The South County SELPA has invited Natacha Akshoomoff, Ph D. to lead a two-day introductory workshop on how to use the ADOS-2 to assess and diagnose autism at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Intended Audience: School Psychologists

Registration

Oct. 24 — Best Practices for Service Providers for IEPs

Presenter: Heidi Lyon

The South County SELPA is excited to add a professional learning opportunity for South County service providers at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Intended Audience: Special Education educators and service providers that support students through an IEP.

Registration

Nov. 7 — Case by Case: Mental Health Disorders in Schools

Presenter: Tim Halphide

Presented in partnership with the Diagnostic Center at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Intended Audience: Special education teachers, school psychologists, administrators, licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), licensed professional clinical counselors (LPCCs), clinical psychologists, educationally related mental health services (ERMHS) staff or school counselors specifically designated to work with special needs students, behaviorists, and others who actively work with youth who have mental health concerns.

Registration

Jan. 18 — Teaching Students with Moderate/Severe Intellectual Disabilities

Presenter: Jill Martinez

Presented in partnership with the Diagnostic Center at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Intended Audience: Teachers, instructional assistants, and related service providers who work with students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities.

Registration

Feb. 8 — Supporting Language Throughout the School Day

Presenter: Elizabeth Berine

Presented in partnership with the Diagnostic Center at the South County Regional Education Center (800 National City Blvd., National City, CA 91950) from 8 a.m. to noon.

Intended Audience: Paraeducators, teachers, and support staff working with students with mild-moderate language difficulties.

Registration

Young student wearing a spacesuit and rocket helmet with floating art stars in the background

Save the Date!

Please start planning for art lessons that will reflect the theme (Out of this Galaxy)! Art submission will be due by May 15. More details will be coming soon.

16th Annual Art and Awards Recognition

South County Regional Education Center

Thursday, May 23, 2024

4:30 to 6 p.m.

Click here for flyer and share this event.

If you have any questions or comments on the SELPA Insights newsletter, please contact our team at scselpaadr@sdcoe.net.

Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at South County SELPA.