Candidate for
Board Member; Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District; 2 Year Short Term

I have been married for 34 years to Howard Carmona. We have two sons, Mark (co-owner of 925 Executive Talent Solutions, and Keith (Assistant Principal at Tuffree Middle School). Our daughter-in-law, Melanie Pickrell Carmona, is the Beginning Teacher (BTSA) coordinator and she and our son, Keith, have a 16 month old daughter, Natalie. Natalie will attend the same PYLUSD schools as her father attended.

Our family has resided in Yorba Linda for 23 years, living in the same home for the duration. Our sons attended Travis Ranch School and Esperanza High School, where they received an excellent education. As parents we were actively involved in their sports activities (JUSA and YHLL) and in Cub Scouts and later Boy Scouts, Troop 824. I served as a Troop Committee member, and Team Mom for a multitude of great soccer and baseball teams.

As a parent at the newly opened Travis Ranch School, I became very involved as a parent volunteer in the classroom and later served as the school's Volunteer Aide Coordinator. During this time, I satisfied a long desired goal, to become a teacher. I began substitute teaching in 1989, and worked in many district schools and taught at many different grade levels for 8 years. I was fortunate to be able to substitute in classes at schools all over our vast district.

In 1997, I was given an opportunity to become a Special Education teacher at Rio Vista Elementary. For several months in 1998, I also worked as a special education teacher at Bryant Ranch School. Eventually, I began teaching at Kraemer Middle School, where I taught for five years. I discovered what a joy it is to work with middle school students and was passionate about working with students with learning disabilities.

In 2002, I was invited to leave the classroom environment and begin working with teachers and administrators as a TOSA (teacher on special assignment) in our district's Professional Development Academy (PDA). In this position it has been my pleasure to arrange for trainings for teachers, support personnel and paraprofessionals, and trainings for parents. The purpose of the training for parents has been to enhance their ability to be a true partner in education with their child's teacher.

My job in the PDA, Intervention Instructional Specialist, also included working with schools to develop their intervention programs for students At-Risk of falling behind their same age peers. In this capacity, I worked closely with district administators and school principals and assistant principals and teachers in developing intervention programs and putting them into place.

In 2004, I was honored to be named the PYLUSD Teacher of the Year.

I am incredibly proud of the Placentia-Yorba Linda USD and wish to continue serving the families, teachers, support personnel, administrators, and community-at-large in a new role as School Board Trustee.