Hi I am Leah Swanson and I am the Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT) and case manager at Lake Harriet Lower Campus. I provide instruction to K-3rd grade students who have a resource level Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.). This is my seventh year at Lake Harriet and I have been working for MPS for 23 years.

Mr. John Sandbo and Mr. Ryan Houle are both full-time Special Education Assistants (SEA’s) who work with our resource students. Mr. John and Mr. H. provide daily support and instruction to students in both the general education and special education classrooms. We are very fortunate to have them as a part of our program.

The 3 of us work together very closely to support students in making progress toward grade level expectations and individual IEP goals and objectives. We strive to make learning fun and to ensure that all of our students experience academic and social success.

Students who receive resource level special education services have disability designations that include Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Developmental Delay (DD), Emotional Behavioral Disorder (EBD), Other Health Disability (OHD), Physically Impaired (PI) Specific Learning Disability (SLD), and Students Needing Alternative Programming (SNAP). Students are provided with instruction and support designed to meet their individual needs which may include reading, writing, math, work completion, organization, self-advocacy, social skills, and/or self-regulation.

leah.swanson@mpls.k12.mn.us