Concepción’s educational journey began with an Associate of Arts in Education from Miami Dade College in 1991. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education from Florida International University, a Master of Science in TESOL from Nova Southeastern University, and a Specialist in Reading Education from the University of Miami. Her dedication to excellence in teaching and learning was recognized when she achieved National Board Certification as a teacher of English as a New Language in 2013. She later earned a Doctor of Education in K12 Administration from the College of William and Mary in 2020.
Throughout her career, Carmen has been a passionate advocate for literacy and educational excellence. She has served as a classroom teacher, a literacy coach, a curriculum support specialist, and a district administrator in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. Carmen’s leadership and expertise have been instrumental in the development and implementation of a range of literacy initiatives and programs.
In addition to her work in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system, Concepción has also held several other important roles in the field of education. She served as the FLARE (Florida Reading Enhancement and Achievement) Coordinator at the University of Central Florida, where she provided professional development and support to K-12 teachers across the state of Florida. She also served as the Director of Professional Learning at Florida Virtual School, where she oversaw the development and delivery of online professional development courses for teachers across the state. She currently serves as the Dean of the School of Education at Miami Dade College, where she provides leadership and support to faculty, staff and students.
Carmen has been a member of Learning Forward since 2006 and a member of Learning Forward Florida since 2013 where she has served her affiliate as a director at large, exhibitor committee chair, nominations committee member, social committee member, and conference presenter. She served as a selected reviewer of the recent Revised Standards for Professional Learning. She has been a presenter at Learning Forward Annual Conferences in 2021, 2019, and 2017.
Concepción has made other contributions to the field of professional learning with publications for ASCD Special Report (2020) entitled Educational Leadership: A New Reality Getting Remote Learning Right as well as her doctoral dissertation for The College of William and Mary entitled Teacher Leadership: A District’s Human Capital Investment Approach for Elevating Professional Learning. She has also been a presenter at various conferences beyond Learning Forward for the 62nd Council of Great City Schools Annual Fall Conference in 2018 and at the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) 80th Annual Conference (2018).
Concepción has been an active participant in Learning Forward events. She has attended every annual conference from December 2016 through December 2022, is a graduate of the Learning Forward Academy Class of 2017, and participated in Learning Forward’s Professional Learning in a Virtual World Network (DPLV).
Concepción tells the board that, if elected, she will continue to advocate for equity and excellence in teaching and learning both at the local and the state level. She assures the voting membership she will, through her leadership and service, continue to promote high-quality, equitable professional learning for all educators.
