Laura is a parent of 3 young adults who all attended Pleasant Valley School District. Originally from New York, Laura has lived in the Camarillo area for almost 40 years.
Some of my additional community work has been the President of the Autism Society of Ventura County when we received the chapter of the year. I was involved with parent education through facilitating parent groups, bringing nationally recognized conferences to Ventura County and working with our Ventura County SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area).
Of course, I got involved in education once my children entered the school but my involvement went beyond that. At the county level, I was invited to join the Autism Task Force that bought good educational and evidenice based practices to Ventura County. Through that, I was asked to give workshops to educators, therapists and parents on special education issues. At this same time, I was awarded the Autism Certification which is a certification of expertise in autism as well as Awesome in Autism award from Autism Society of Ventura County.
MEET LAURA
Laura ~ Mom, Educator, Advocate For Our Students
Recently retired from the classroom in PVSD, education is my second career. I have degrees in business and education plus worked in banking, printing industry and was an executive director of a school.
In 2001, I was asked to open a classroom for students with special needs for VCOE at the Santa Rosa school site. I identified a vital gap for local learners who found large campuses overwhelming. To address this, I launched the Camarillo Academy for Excellence. As a CA-certified Non-Public School, we provided a tailored sanctuary with focused therapeutic and academic enrichment.
It was nice to be sought after to assist classrooms in PVSD. Starting at Monte Vista in 2014, I had the pleasure of teaching Specially Academic Instruction classrooms, helping out in the general education classrooms and mentoring new teachers. The last 2 years, I have been teaching at La Mariposa. Between both schools, I particiapted in Leadership, School Site Council, PTA liason among other duties.
Currently, I am on the board of AAUW - Camarillo Branch as the VP/Membership and Scholarship chair. Looking forward to participating with Women In History performances in the classroom. I love to read and usually have a book on me.