Welcome, from the special education (SPED) staff of Plumas Charter School!
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SPED Director
Lori Hahn
lhahn@plumascharterschool.org
Started with PCS in 2012
Education: BA in political science
Teaching credentials: Education Specialist Instruction; Multiple Subject (general subjects)
Teaching experience: 20 years, 17 in special education
Interests and hobbies: gardening, cooking, photography, travel
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SPED Teacher
Andre Essue
aessue@plumascharterschool.org
Started with PCS in 2015
Education: MA in special education; BA in human services
Teaching credentials: Education Specialist
Instruction (mild to moderate disabilities; moderate to severe
disabilities); Education Specialist
Interests and hobbies: spending time with family, hiking, gardening, camping
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SPED Teacher
Melanie Strahm
mstrahm@plumascharterschool.org
Started with PCS in 2014
Education: BA in mathematics
Teaching credentials: Multiple Subject (general
subjects); intern Education Specialist Instruction (mild to moderate
disabilities)
Interests and hobbies: hiking,
cooking
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Instructional Aide
Renay Courtois
rcourtois@plumascharterschool.org
Started with PCS in 2017
Education: AA in environmental studies
Interests and hobbies: gardening, writing poetry
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Plumas Charter School offers a full continuum of special education services based on a student's individual education plan (IEP). We embrace the inclusion model, in which students with special needs spend most or all of their time with general education students. This model is based on evidence that mixed experience leads to better outcomes, both academically and socially, for special education students. We have also witnessed positive outcomes for general education students who spend time with special needs students: the experience regularly improves progress toward social emotional development goals for everyone involved.
In California,
every local education agency (LEA), i.e., school entity, is required to belong to a special education local plan area (SELPA). The SELPA is a consortium of LEAs
responsible for the development of special education policies and
procedures, distribution of federal and state special education funds,
and provision of professional development pertaining to special
education. Plumas Charter School belongs to the
El Dorado Charter SELPA, which we joined in 2017. For valuable information on families' rights, SPED basics, and state and federal resources, click the button below.
Family Resources
Click the link below to access the SELPA's governance page, which includes updated copies of our local plan, the annual budget and
service plan, and a master list of current schools.
SELPA Governance
Local Plan
Plumas Charter School contracts speech and occupational therapy services. Our occupational therapist, MacKenzie Eells, works for
Growing Healthy Children Therapy Services, based in Rescue, California. MacKenzie has provided virtual occupational therapy services for us since 2017.
Our speech therapist, Joseph Swingle, MS, ATP, CCC-SLP, works for
Speech and Reading Resources, based in Redding, California. He is a bilingual speech and language pathologist, as well as an assistive technology professional. Joseph has provided speech pathology services for us since 2019.