San Francisco Unified School District Student Educational Services for Parents

Information for Building Relationships Between Families and School Staff

Get to Know What Your Child Is Learning: Link Student Learning Between Home and School
  • Best practice area
  • How to make this concept come to life
  • Your student's learning goals
  • Prepare to share  child’s information with your teacher at the beginning of the school year
  • Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences (multiple languages)
Sometimes during these school conferences and teacher conversations, families realize that their children need additional and specialized educational support. If that is the case with your child, there are several types of educational intervention your family should consider.

Special Needs/Special Education Services at SFUSD

Understanding the Need for and Types of Educational Intervention 
SFUSD Related Services include resource specialist services and Special Day Classes (SDC). Sunnyside Elementary has two moderate-to-severe Special Day Classes: one for K–2 and another for grades 3–5. 

Additional student enhancement websites and parent resources are on our Resources webpage.​
Sunnyside Elementary
Special Education Services Resources 

Our Coordinated Care Team and Student Support Teams include:
 
Robert Romano: Resource Specialist. Provides Tier 3-level reading/ writing support for students who have IEPs. 

Athena Lafferty: Response to Intervention Facilitator. Provides reading/writing intervention for general education students who are eligible for Tier 2-level of support (i.e., any student who is behind in reading but doesn’t have an IEP). 

Steven Flanagan: Instructional Reform Facilitator and Response to Intervention Facilitator. Provides math intervention for general education students who are eligible for Tier 2-level of support (i.e., any student who is behind in reading but doesn’t have an IEP). 

Marina Antonio: School Psychologist. Provides services for IEP students.

Jen Caulfield: Social Worker. Provides services for students in general education and/or who 504s.

Jessie Drake: Occupational Therapist. (Please note, she is currently on maternity leave until February.) 

Margo Huang: Speech Therapist.
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Rhonda Palmer: Physical Therapist. 
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Sunnyside’s special education team also includes two Special Day Class teachers, Cynthia Payne and Rachel Roblez, who work with moderate-to-severe special education students, and paraeducators.
Who to Contact at SFUSD

Community Advisory Committee for Special Education website: https://www.sfusd.edu/services/student-supports-programs/special-education/cac-special-education 

​Jean Robertson:  Chief, Special Education Services, SELPA Director

Kristen Devine:  Director, County Programs and Related Services

Jenny Jimenez-Payne:  Director, Cohort Schools K-12+

Cynthia Ortiz: Supervisor, PreK-8 Psychological Services

Raj Sharma: Cohort 5 Supervisor: Clarendon • Commodore Sloat • El Dorado • Feinstein • Guadalupe • Jefferson • Francis Scott Key • Lakeshore • Longfellow • Miraloma • Ortega • Sheridan • Stevenson • Sunnyside • Sunset • Ulloa • West Portal

Anacorina Lola: Related Services Supervisor

Thomas Graven: Extended School Year and Covid Recovery Services Supervisor

Francine Demarco: Related Services Program Administrator 

Kara Schinella: Transition Program Administrator
 
Cathy Sherman: Behavior Analysts and SOAR Program Administrator
 
Julia Martin: Ombudsperson, Family/Community Engagement
​Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) 
​Parent Center Hub is a great resource that explains what an IEP is and the steps to getting one developed for your child. 

The Parent Center Hub website breaks down and covers:
  • What’s involved in developing your child’s IEP, including the IEP meetings and the document
  • Where and when IEP meetings take place, and who attends, which includes the school administration, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, evaluation personnel, your child and you
  • What happens at the IEP meeting
  • What is in the IEP document, such as your child’s present levels statement, and where that information comes from
  • The annual goals for your child’s needs, such as in reading and math
  • How your child’s progress in those areas will be measured
  • The need for additional services and supports for your child
  • Your child’s participation with other children without disabilities
  • Any modifications to assessments, and more