Our school welcomes all students, regardless of their background, and encourages everyone to join our inclusive community. We enhance our instructional programs and professional development to ensure that English Learners (ELs) engage deeply in rigorous and challenging content. Valuing family and community partnerships, we leverage their diverse languages, skills, cultures, and experiences. We empower all stakeholders to prioritize the needs of ELs, integrating ELD principles across our curriculum, supporting their academic growth, and affirming their cultural and linguistic identities throughout their educational journey.

Learn More

Special Education & Psychological Services Commitment

Ánimo Leadership’s special education and psychological services team is committed to addressing barriers to learning through an integrated academic, social-emotional and behavioral system that bridges services to students with disabilities in an inclusive environment.

Our Approach

We provide high quality and accessible programming that embraces the strengths of our students. Our special education supports are created with high structure in order to foster a highly inclusive supported environment for all of our scholars and their families.

Department Contact Information

Senior Director of Special Education & Psychological Services

Dr. Susana Campo

scampo@greendot.org

(323) 565–1600

Special Education Program Administrator

Lizzie Downes

elizabeth.downes@greendot.org

School Psychologist 

Greego Landicho

greego.landicho@greendot.org

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can my child attend Ánimo Leadership if they have an IEP?

Yes, we are a public school and welcome all students.

I have questions about my child’s IEP. Who should I reach out to?

Please contact the school and ask to speak with your child’s special education teacher.

Who should I contact for a special education evaluation or support for my child?

Please contact our school psychologist to share your concerns.

Related Links for El Dorado SELPA Schools

• El Dorado SELPA Community Advisory Committee Parent Handbook (April 2024)
• El Dorado SELPA Notice of Procedural Safeguards Special Education Rights of Parents and Children (Revised November 2022)
• Aviso de Garantías Procesales Derechos de Educación Especial de los Padres y los Niños (Revisado Noviembre de 2022)

Our School Liaison is:
Melissa Peña
Director of Student Support Services
1149 S. Hill St., Ste. 600
323-565-1600

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act for Homeless Children and Youth entitles all school-aged children experiencing homelessness to the same free and appropriate public education that is provided to non-homeless students. To that end, Green Dot has adopted the following policy regarding the enrollment and education of students experiencing homelessness. 

A student experiencing homelessness is defined as a person who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. It includes children and youths who: 

• Live with another family/are sharing the housing of other persons, due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (doubled or tripled up); 
• Live in an emergency or transitional shelter; 
• Live in a hotel or motel due to lack of alternate adequate accommodations; 
• Live in a trailer park or campsite due to lack of alternate adequate accommodations; 
• Have been abandoned at a hospital;
• Have a primary nighttime residence that is public or a private place that is not designed for or ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodations for human beings; 
• Are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and 
• Migratory children and unaccompanied youth (youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian) may be considered homeless if they meet the above definition of “homeless.”

Homeless status is determined in cooperation with the parent or guardian. In the case of unaccompanied youth, status is determined by the McKinney-Vento Liaison.

McKinney-Vento Liaison

The Principal designates the following staff person as the McKinney-Vento Liaison for students experiencing homelessness:

Melissa Peña
Director of Student Support Services
1149 S. Hill St., Ste. 600
323-565-1600

The McKinney-Vento Liaison shall ensure that:

1.  Homeless students are identified by school personnel and through coordination activities with other entities and agencies, and through the annual housing questionnaire administered by the Charter School. 
2. Homeless students enroll in, and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed at Green Dot. 
3. Homeless students and families receive educational services for which they are eligible, including Head Start and Even Start programs, and referrals to health care services, dental services, mental health services, housing services, and other appropriate services. 
4. Parents/guardians are informed of the educational and related opportunities available to their children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children. 
5. Public notice of the educational rights of homeless children is disseminated in locations frequented by parents, guardians, and unaccompanied youths, including schools, shelters, public libraries, and soup kitchens, in a manner and form understandable to the parents and guardians of homeless youth and unaccompanied youth. 
6. Enrollment/admissions disputes are mediated in accordance with law, the Green Dot charter(s), and Board policy. Parents/guardians and any unaccompanied youth are fully informed of all transportation services, as applicable. 
7. Charter School personnel providing McKinney-Vento services receive professional development and other support. The McKinney-Vento Liaison shall ensure that training related to Green Dot’s homeless education program policies and recognizing signs that students are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness is offered at least annually to certificated and classified employees providing services to students experiencing homelessness, including but not limited to, teachers, support staff, and other school staff who work with students. The McKinney-Vento Liaison shall inform certificated and classified employees of the availability of training and services the McKinney-Vento School Liaison provides to aid in the identification of and provision of services to students at risk of or experiencing homelessness. 
8. The McKinney-Vento Liaison collaborates with State coordinators and community and school personnel responsible for the provision of education and related services to homeless children and youths. 
9. Unaccompanied youth are enrolled in school; have opportunities to meet the same challenging State academic standards as the State establishes for other children and youth; and are informed of their status as independent students and that the youths may obtain assistance from the McKinney-Vento Liaison to receive verification of such status for the purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 
10. The California Department of Education (“CDE”) publishes a list of the contact information for the Homeless Education Liaisons in the state, which is available at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/ 

Enrollment

Green Dot shall immediately admit/enroll the student for which the Green Dot school is a School of Origin.  “School of Origin” means the school that the child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled or a school which the child or youth attended within the past fifteen (15) months. If the school the child or youth experiencing homelessness attended when permanently housed is different from the school in which he/she was last enrolled, or if there is some other school that he/she attended within the preceding 15 months and with which he/she is connected, the McKinney-Vento Liaison shall determine, in consultation with and with the agreement of the child or youth, and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the child or youth, and in the best interests of the child or youth, which school shall be deemed the School of Origin.

Green Dot shall also immediately admit/enroll a youth experiencing homelessness who seeks to enroll in a Green Dot school, if the youth would otherwise be eligible to attend and subject to the school’s capacity and pursuant to the procedures stated in the Green Dot charter and Board policy. The youth shall be immediately enrolled even if the student lacks records normally required for enrollment (such as previous academic records, records of immunizations, other required health records, proof of residency) or has missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness.  Records will immediately be requested from the previous school.  If the student needs to obtain immunizations or does not possess immunization or other medical records, the Principal or designee shall refer the parent/guardian to the McKinney-Vento Liaison. The McKinney-Vento Liaison shall assist the parent/guardian in obtaining the necessary immunizations or records for the student.

A youth experiencing homelessness may remain in the student’s School of Origin for the entire period for which the youth is experiencing homelessness. If a youth obtains permanent housing during an academic year, the youth will be permitted to remain in the School of Origin:

• Through the end of the academic year if he/she is in grades K-8.
• Through graduation if he/she is in high school.

A youth experiencing homelessness who is enrolled will have the right to attend classes and participate fully in school activities, including extracurricular activities. The School shall not charge any student who is a youth experiencing homelessness any family fees associated with an After-School Education and Safety (“ASES”) Program operated by the School. The School shall also give youth experiencing homelessness waitlist priority, if any, for ASES Programs operated by the School.

Enrollment Disputes

If a dispute arises over admissions/enrollment, the student shall be immediately admitted or allowed to remain in the school in which enrollment is sought pending resolution of the dispute.

The parent/guardian shall be provided with a written explanation of the admission/enrollment decision, including an explanation of the parent/guardian’s right to appeal the decision. The parent/guardian shall also be referred to the McKinney-Vento Liaison. The McKinney-Vento Liaison must ensure that the dispute resolution process is also followed for unaccompanied youth.

The McKinney-Vento Liaison shall carry out the dispute resolution and complaint process as expeditiously as possible after receiving notice of the dispute.

Comparable Services

Each child or youth experiencing homelessness shall promptly be provided services comparable to services offered to other students in Green Dot such as:

• Transportation services
• Educational services for which the child or youth meets eligibility criteria, such as educational programs for students with disabilities and educational programs for students with limited English proficiency.
• Programs in vocational and technical education
• Programs for gifted and talented students
• Title I services
• School nutrition programs

Transportation

Green Dot shall ensure that transportation is provided for students experiencing homelessness to and from Green Dot if Green Dot is the student’s School of Origin at the request of the parent or guardian (or McKinney-Vento Liaison) because it is a barrier to the student attending school every day and on time.  Green Dot shall also ensure that other transportation provided (as opposed to the School of Origin) is comparable to that provided to permanently housed students, and shall eliminate barriers to the school enrollment and retention of students experiencing homelessness. Transportation provided by Green Dot will be adequate and appropriate for the Student’s situation, but Green Dot does not commit to any one method of transportation for all youth.

Students Formerly Experiencing Homelessness:

If needed, Green Dot shall provide transportation to students who continue attending their School of Origin and who formerly experienced homelessness only until the end of the academic year in which they cease experiencing homelessness, unless the student formerly experiencing homelessness has an Individualized Education Program that includes transportation as a necessary related service for the student.

Graduation Requirements forStudents Experiencing Homelessness

When a student experiencing homelessness has completed their second year of high school transfers into Green Dot, they shall be exempted from all Green Dot-adopted coursework and other Green Dot-established graduation requirements (the “Exempted Student”), unless the School makes a finding that the student is reasonably able to complete the additional requirements in time to graduate from high school by the end of their fourth year of high

school.Within 30 calendar days of a student experiencing homelessness transfer, the Principal or designee shall notify the youth experiencing homelessness, the person holding the right to make educational decisions for him/her, and the McKinney-Vento Liaison of the availability of the exemption and whether the youth experiencing homelessness qualifies for it.

To determine whether a youth experiencing homelessness is in their third or fourth year of high school, Green Dot shall use the number of credits the student has earned as of the date of the transfer, the length of their school enrollment, or, for students with significant gaps in school attendance, the student’s age as compared to the average age of students in the third or fourth year of high school, may be used, whichever qualifies them for the exemption. 

If a youth experiencing homelessness is not eligible for an exemption in the year in which the student transfers between schools because Green Dot makes a finding that the student is reasonably able to complete Green Dot’s graduation requirements in time to graduate from high school by the end of the student’s fourth year of high school, Green Dot shall reevaluate eligibility and provide written notice to the student and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student whether the student qualifies for an exemption within the first 30 calendar days of the following academic year, based on the course completion status of the student at the time of reevaluation to determine if the student continues to be reasonably able to complete Green Dot’s graduation requirements in time to graduate from high school by the end of the student’s fourth year of high school.

The Principal or designee shall consult with any Exempted Student and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for them how any requirements that are waived will affect the Exempted Student’s ability to gain admission to a postsecondary educational institution or vocational plans and shall provide information about other options available to the student including, but not limited to, possible credit recovery and transfer opportunities available through the California Community Colleges.  The Principal or designee shall also consult with any Exempted Student and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for them about consideration of Exempted Student’s academic data and other information relevant to making an informed decision on whether to accept the exemption.  It is the sole discretion of the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student, or the student themselves if they are 18 years of age or older, an unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness as defined in Section 11434a(6) of Title 42 of the United States Code, or an unaccompanied minor who holds their own education rights, whether to accept the exemption, based on the student’s best educational interests.

Green Dot shall not require any student who would otherwise be entitled to remain in attendance at the school to accept the exemption from Green Dot’s additional graduation requirements or deny the student enrollment in, or the ability to complete, courses for which the student is otherwise eligible. Green Dot shall not revoke an exemption and shall grant an eligible student’s request for the exemption at any time if the student qualifies, regardless of whether the student previously declined the exemption. An eligible student’s exemption from Green Dot’s additional graduation requirements will continue to apply while the student is enrolled in the school or if the student transfers to another school even after the student no longer meets the definition of a youth experiencing homelessness.  Green Dot shall not require or request a youth experiencing homelessness to transfer schools in order to qualify for an exemption and no request for a transfer solely to qualify for an exemption shall be made by a youth experiencing homelessness or any person acting on behalf of such student.

If a student who is exempted from Green Dot’s additional graduation requirements completes the California minimum coursework requirements specified in Education Code section 51225.3 before the end of the student’s fourth year of high school and would otherwise be entitled to remain in attendance at the school, the student shall have the right to choose to remain at or disenroll from the school; Green Dot shall not require or request that the student graduate before the end of the student’s fourth year of high school.

An Exempted Student may be eligible to graduate under the California (“CA”) Minimum Graduation Requirements per California Education Code Section 51225.1 et seq. For the purposes of the Instruction Policy Section B. 1.0, the following definitions apply:

• “A youth experiencing homelessness” is defined in Section A. 6.0 in the Student Policy Manual.

Upon making a finding that a youth experiencing homelessness is reasonably able to complete Green Dot graduation requirements within their fifth year of high school, the Principal or designee shall:

1. Consult with the Exempted Student and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for him/her of the Exempted Student’s option to remain in school for a fifth year to complete the School’s graduation requirements and how that will affect their ability to gain admission to a postsecondary educational institution or vocational plans and shall provide information about other options available to the student including, but not limited to, possible credit recovery and transfer opportunities available through the California Community Colleges.The Principal or designee shall also consult with any Exempted Student and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for them about consideration of Exempted Student’s academic data and other information relevant to making an informed decision on whether to accept the exemption, the option to remain in school for a fifth year, or both.

2. Provide information to the Exempted Student about transfer opportunities available through the California Community Colleges.
3. Upon agreement with the Exempted Student or, if they are under 18 years of age, the person holding the right to make educational decisions for them, permit the Exempted Student to stay in school for a fifth year to complete Green Dot’s graduation requirements.

• On-site school psychologists and college counselors
• Student-tailored academic Advisory course
• Restorative Justice Discipline Model
• Community Building opportunities and grade-level events
• Mental health and behavioral support for all students
• Tutoring and office hours to support students\’ academic needs
• Personalized learning for all students

Green Dot Public Schools does not discriminate against any person on the basis of the characteristics listed in Education Code Section 220 (actual or perceived disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, immigration status, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 422.55 of the Penal Code or association with an individual who has any of the aforementioned characteristics) and Education Code Sections 221.5 and 221.51 in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. Green Dot Public Schools also does not discriminate against any person on the basis of legal or economic status, primary language, or English Learner status in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. Green Dot Public Schools adheres to all provisions of federal law related to students with disabilities, including but not limited to, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (“IDEA”).  Green Dot Public Schools is committed to providing a work and educational atmosphere that is free of unlawful harassment and the “Discrimination/Harassment Policy” complies with the requirements of Titles IV, VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, or national origin), Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (sex), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (mental or physical disability), The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and other applicable federal and state laws.  Green Dot Public Schools also prohibits sexual harassment, including cyber sexual bullying, and harassment based upon pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, religious affiliation, creed, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, age, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by federal, state, local law, ordinance or regulation.  Green Dot Public Schools does not condone or tolerate harassment of any type, including discrimination, intimidation, or bullying, including cyber sexual bullying, by any employee, independent contractor or other person with which Green Dot Public Schools does business, or any other individual, student, or volunteer.  This applies to all employees, students, or volunteers and relationships, regardless of position or gender.  Green Dot Public Schools will promptly and thoroughly investigate any complaint of harassment and take appropriate corrective action, if warranted.  Inquiries, complaints, or grievances regarding harassment as described in this policy should be directed to the Green Dot Public Schools Uniform Complaint Procedures (“UCP”) Compliance Officer as identified in Policy C. 16.0.

Rev. 06/2021