Special Education

Special Education Staff:

• SPED Administrator: Heidi Smoot, Assistant Principal
• SPED Department Head: Lauren Gretsch - Seal 
• SPED District Liaison: Emily Vrabel

Service Models:

• Resource (RSP):
  • Students receive either push in or pull out support from a SPED teacher. 
• Co-Taught:
  • Grade level general education (GenEd) classes co-taught by a GenEd teacher and a SPED teacher. Class sizes are the same as other GenEd classes..
• Mild/Moderate Special Day Class (M/M SDC)
  • Students take between 1-4 classes in the SDC setting, depending on their individual needs, and take the remainder of their classes in GenEd. 
  • SPED classes are offered in math, English, science, and social studies.
  • The classes have a maximum of 13 students and at least one paraeducator.
  • Students work on grade level standards with embedded accommodations.
• Moderate/Severe Special Day Class (M/S SDC)
  • All students are mainstreamed for PE 
  • Electives options are mod/severe career prep or GenEd options
  • All students take all four academic classes in the SDC classroom..
  • The classes have a maximum of 10 students and at least two paraeducators.
  • Students work on life skills with some grade-level content.
• Autism Focus Special Day Class
  • One M/M cohort and one M/S cohort for students whose IEPs specify those pathways.
  • Embedded accommodations and services specific to the needs of students with ASD.
  • Class options are the same as the other M/M and M/S options above, however the cohort of students stay together for their SPED classes.

Find out more about SFUSD Special Education Services.

Support for Families: Information, education, and parent-to-parent support free of charge to families and professionals of children with any kind of disability or special health care need in San Francisco.

• Ms. Gretsch-Seal: gretschl@sfusd.edu
• Mr. Leung: leungn1@sfusd.edu
• Ms. Noble: noblee@sfusd.edu
• Ms. Page: pagel@sfusd.edu
• Ms. Petrelli:  petrelliie@sfusd.edu
• Mr. M. Stephens: stephensm@sfusd.edu
• Mr. R. Stephens: stephensr@sfusd.edu
• Mr. Ted: scott-smitht@sfusd.edu
• Ms. Vrabel: vrabele@sfusd.edu
• Mr. Wong: wongb10@sfusd.edu
• Ms. Wright: wrighta2@sfusd.edu