Judy Tomasetti - she/her

Ms. Tomasetti

Special Education Coordinator / Resource Specialist

jtomasetti@sierraacademy.net

It is a great honor and privilege to be given the opportunity of becoming a part of the educational family at SAEL. I come with 20 years of experience in the educational system, 11 of which have been dedicated to students with special needs. Growing up in the small Central Valley town of Delano, it gave me a front row seat to the labor movement Cesar Chavez started. It inspired me to dedicate my life to supporting the underrepresented. 

While attending community college in Visalia, I worked at an amazing organization called California Mini-Corp which serviced migrant students from all over California. This provided valuable insight for me while studying at San Diego State in pursuit of my sociology degree. After graduating college, I began my credential program at San Jose State University. My first official teaching position was with San Jose Job Corp as a Special Education Teacher . My following position was with East Side Union High School District as a Special Education Teacher where I eventually became Department Chair and developed further as an educator. After working at Nevada Union and Del Oro High Schools locally, I sought out Sierra Academy for our innovative, small program.

My family and I relocated to Grass Valley in 2017 to live more sustainably and among the beauty that surrounds us. I love discovering new places, cultures, foods, and languages. I have traveled to Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica and several states within our country. Our world is changing rapidly and our kids deserve to be taught the skills needed to grow and thrive. My goal is to help students build resilience and self confidence to be able to pursue their goals and curiosities.