Marta Leyva, the principal at Excelsior Academy from December 2020, to February 28, 2022, and a member of Student’s IEP team, testified at hearing. Before working at Excelsior Academy she was an associate principal with the Chula Vista Elementary School District. She had also been a teacher and speech therapist for three different public school districts. Leyva had also worked as an advocate for children with learning disabilities and as a consultant to their parents. Leyva had a master’s degree in educational leadership and had completed considerable training in a wide variety of special education interventions and IEP development. She had attended hundreds of IEP meetings. She answered all questions posed to her without hesitation, thoroughly, knowledgably, and confidently. Due to her extensive work with children with learning disabilities, Leyva was familiar with many of the nonpublic schools operating in San Diego County. Her testimony was extremely credible and persuasive.
