Special Education

Welcome, from the special education (SPED) staff of Plumas Charter School!

Lori

SPED Director
Lori Hahn
[email protected]
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

mel

SPED Teacher
Melanie Strahm
[email protected]
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

 C. Miles
Speech Therapist
Carol Miles

[email protected]
Started with PCS in 2022
Education: MA, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Clinical Rehabilitative Services with Special Class Authorization. Licensed by California State Board of Medical Quality Assurance-Speech Language Pathologist. Certificate of Clinical Competence-American Speech Language Hearing Association.
Interests and hobbies: Hiking, kayaking, boating, tubing, gardening, skiing, bird watching, reading and visual arts. 
RC SPED Instructional Aide
Renay Courtois
[email protected]
Started with PCS in 2023
NB

SPED Instructional Aide Chester
Nikita Bengaard
[email protected]
Started with PCS in 2023 

A Cooke

SPED Instructional Aide Chester
Anika Cooke
[email protected]
Started with PCS in 2023
Education: AA Liberal Studies, College of the Redwoods
Interests and hobbies: art, reading, nature and music

Notice of Public Hearing (English)Notice of Public Hearing (Spanish)
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

Service Providers

Plumas Charter School contracts with Presence Learning for its Occupational Therapy services. For more information visit: https://www.presencelearning.com/ 
We contract with Julie Hammond at Feather River Physical Therapy for our Physical Therapy program.