In Oakland Unified School District, the Special Education Department is charged with educating students who have learning disabilities or exceptional cognitive or physical needs and who are made eligible for services through an Individual Education Program (IEP). Special Education provides services and support in district, alternative and select charter schools to all identified students from infancy through age 22.
Services include Specialized Academic Instruction, Speech-Language Therapy, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Assistive Technology, Adaptive Physical Education, mental health services, behavior intervention and assessment, career-transition services, and low incidence services for students with visual, hearing and orthopedic impairments.
Oakland Unified has about 6,500 identified Special Education students, and the Special Education Office conducts over 8,000 Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings each year. We operate a full continuum of programs to meet the needs of our amazing, diverse students–from inclusion to specialized, self-contained settings–with at least one Special Education professional in every OUSD public school. In addition to our school-based programs, Special Education operates a preschool center, a diagnostic assessment center, home and hospital instruction, and a Young Adult Program that provides community-based instruction for eligible students aged 18-22.
We believe that every student deserves recognition, attention and respect, and all students must be offered rigorous academic programs and classrooms that support high achievement.
The Special Education Department ensures that all staff are prepared and motivated to meet the needs of all students by partnering with families, providing expertise and guidance to school staff and communities, and implementing high-quality services to supplement the general education program.
We support students by providing multiple learning opportunities to ensure students feel respected and heard.
We provide everyone access to what they need to be successful.
We hold ourselves to uncompromising standards to achieve extraordinary outcomes.
We are honest, trustworthy and accountable.
We resist assumptions and biases and see the gift of every student and adult.
We seek and celebrate moments of laughter and wonder.
Our goals, which we refer to as our ‘big rocks,’ drive the work that we do and operate in alignment with district goals and priorities shared in our Local Control Accountability Plan and Superintendent’s Work Plan.
Differentiated Professional Learning
The Special Education Department will develop and implement robust, multimodal, multi-tiered effective professional learning opportunities.
Academic Equity
The Special Education Department staff will provide effective, targeted, evidence-based services in the least restrictive environment to support students to make meaningful progress toward grade level standards and/or individual goals.
Empowering Strong Graduates
The Department will partner with other teams and site personnel to ensure that each student with an IEP has meaningful pathway experiences, access to paid and supported employment experiences, and transition services grounded in students’ own goals for their future as informed, engaged community members.
Compliant, Comprehensive IEPs
The Department will provide resources, support and accountability systems to ensure every student has an IEP that is timely, data-driven, asset-based, and individualized based on the unique needs of that student.
Our Special Education Leadership Team is passionate about our work and proud to serve our students with disabilities in Oakland. Most of our staff were Oakland teachers before moving into administration, and many of our team are Oakland residents. We’re deeply invested in our key goals of evidence-based, multisensory learning, targeted staff professional development, and a commitment to serving each student in the least restrictive environment. We are always happy to hear feedback from parents, caregivers and staff, so please feel free to reach out.
Executive Director,
Special Education
and Health Services
SELPA Director
Early Childhood Special Education
Director, Elementary School Programs
Director, Middle School Programs and Legal Supports
Director, High School and Alternative Education Programs
Director, Young Adult and Transition Programs
Director, Related Services
Director, Psychological and Mental Health Services
Program Manager, Elementary Programs
Program Manager, Secondary Programs
Coordinator, Compliance
Program Manager, Compliance
Program Manager, Operations
Our work relies on the dedication and amazing work of our broader central team, which consists of our Instructional Coaches, SELPA case managers, related services leads, and clerical and operational staff
