About+the+Facilitators

Carla Forchini


Carla Forchini is a passionate and dedicated teacher of World Languages, who will begin her 21st year in the classroom this Fall. She is credentialed in both Spanish and Italian, and is a National Board Certified Teacher of World Languages Other than English. She currently teaches 1st year Spanish, AP/4th year Spanish, and 1st year Italian through AP Italian at Santa Rosa High School in Santa Rosa, California. She is an avid traveller, baseball fanatic, and outdoor enthusiast. Besides her passion for teaching and learning, she also enjoys networking with other World Language teachers either on Twitter (@cforchini) or at World Language conferences & workshops. She is the Region 1 Coordinator for the Capital World Language Project, in addition to serving on the CLTA Board as the affiliate representative for North Coast Language Teachers Association of the Redwood Empire.

Tonja Byrom


Tonja Byrom is an enthusiastic and reflective educator who is dedicated to improving student achievement and success. She is an experienced Spanish teacher with a Master Degree in Education. She has taught English to exchange students, Spanish to adult learners, and high school Spanish to grades 9-12. Additionally, she has worked collaboratively with teachers throughout California on aligning teaching with the Common Core State Standards and 21st Century Learning, has experience in K-12 curriculum development, and works as an educational consultant. Tonja has been very active in local and state professional organizations, including KCLTA, CLTA, and CWLP/SLICC. She is the current CLTA Secretary.

Mrs. Byrom is employed by CSU Fullerton where she teaches a variety of courses in the Department of Secondary Education. In her free time, Tonja enjoys spending time with her family at the beach, museums, and Disneyland.