Meet Mary Jo Carreon, Candidate For Pleasanton School Board

PLEASANTON, CA — Patch reached out to all candidates for the PUSD Board of Trustees with identical questions about their background and their vision for Pleasanton schools. Here are the responses from Mary Jo Carreon, the incumbent trustee for Area 1.

Responses have not been altered.

1. What is your personal, educational, and professional background?

I am running for reelection for Trustee Area 1. I have been a teacher for over 30 years and 25 years in Pleasanton. I am also substitute teaching in Dublin. As a former teacher I want to be a bridge between what happens on the dias and what happens in the classroom.

2. How long have you lived in Pleasanton?

We moved here over 30 years ago so that I could teach here and have my own children attend the Pleasanton schools.

3. What brought you here?

We decided to move here because of the excellent schools. I also love the small town feel of Downtown Pleasanton. Pleasanton has a wonderful Farmer's Market, Concerts in the Parks and a great downtown area. It has been a wonderful place to raise my family.

4. How have you been involved in the community?

My focus has always been on the schools. After I retired from teaching, I still wanted to give back to our community so I ran for school board. After I was elected to the school board, I still volunteered in the classrooms. I still want to give back to our community and that is why I am running again.

5. What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges facing PUSD?

Right now the biggest challenge is the financial constraints. We have declining enrollment, we no longer have Covid dollars which was forty one million dollars, and we need to retain and recruit teachers and staff. We need to be fiscally responsible and it is quite challenging to do this with less funds. The other big challenge we have is hiring a Superintendent.

6. What are your plans for addressing them?

We have a budget advisory committee with members of our community doing research and problem solving. We will also have community forums to gather input from all of our educational partners. We will have to make difficult decisions on where to cut and also on how to generate more income. As far as Superintendent we are currently involved in a listening campaign where we will gather input from the community. After listening we will decide on next steps in the search.

7. What makes you the best candidate?

I have experience as a school board member and as a teacher in the classroom. I understand some of the underlying issues in our schools. I have worked hard the last four years and have been able to make changes in policies. I was able to guide the district through the difficult years of Covid and am confident I can continue to be an effective leader. I also am a problem solver and I believe that listening and working together is always the answer to our problems. I care about our students, families and communities and will work hard for everyone.

8. Outside of politics, what do you enjoy doing?

I love to read, go to the beach and spend time with family and friends.

9. Any other comments?

It is an honor and privilege to serve the families and community members of Pleasanton.