Heather Schauder

Heather Schauder has extensive work experience in the field of special education. Heather began their career as a School Psychologist in the Long Beach Unified School District in 2000, where they provided counseling, assessment, and consultation services to students with disabilities. Heather worked in various school settings, including preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools.

In 2006, Heather joined the Huntington Beach Union High School District as a School Psychologist. In this role, they focused on addressing the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs of students with disabilities in grades 9-12. Heather also provided counseling and crisis response services, as well as collaborating with parents, teachers, and community agencies to develop interventions.

Heather then moved on to serve as the Lead School Psychologist for the San Diego Charter Schools Special Education Consortium & King-Chavez Neighborhood of Schools from 2010 to 2015. Heather provided consultation, guidance, and support to a team of school psychologists across multiple charter schools. Heather also coordinated monthly professional development meetings and managed psychologist assignments.

In 2010, Heather acquired their license as an Educational Psychologist in California. Although their license is currently inactive, it showcases their expertise in this field.

From 2015 to 2020, Heather worked as a Program Specialist for the Poway Unified School District. Heather provided leadership and direct support to special education teams, assisting in the development of legally defensible and compliant Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Their role also involved training staff, facilitating challenging IEP meetings, and conducting assessments and interventions.

Most recently, Heather held the position of Director of Elementary Special Education in the Poway Unified School District, starting in 2020. In this role, they continued to provide positive leadership and support to administrators and special education teams district-wide. Their responsibilities included strengthening the special education department and ensuring all students receive student-centered services and meaningful educational progress.

Heather Schauder holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in School Psychology, which they obtained from UMass Boston between 1997 and 2000. Prior to that, they earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Clinical and Developmental Psychology from Suffolk University from 1992 to 1996. Additionally, they have a certification as a CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Trainer from Crisis Prevention Institute.