Assemblymember Kristin Olsen, of Riverbank, has honored Manteca educator and Escalon resident Tammy Brecht Dunbar as the 2016 Woman of the Year for the 12th Assembly District.
“Tammy is a role model for teachers and students alike,” Olsen said. “She has contributed greatly to the advancement of technology in education, and her impact will be felt for years to come. I am proud to honor her as Woman of the Year.”
Dunbar is a fifth grade teacher in the Manteca Unified School District, and an instructor at the Teachers College of San Joaquin in Stockton, California. She believes in a student-first, project-based learning model, and she loves to share her journey of crafting lessons for her students to help each one get the education they need and deserve.
Dunbar is a strong advocate for incorporating technology into the classroom. She is one of 11 teachers nationwide to be named a Microsoft Innovative Educational Expert Regional Lead. She is a popular presenter and trainer around the country, training thousands of teachers on digital technology integration and presenting at numerous major conferences around the country and online. Her efforts have garnered her many awards, including being named Teacher of the Year at Manteca Unified School District.
“I am humbled and honored to be recognized by Assemblymember Olsen who understands that teaching is not a job; it’s a vocation,” Dunbar said. “We are called to help students discover their strengths, skills and gifts while helping them realize each one has a genius the world needs. I am proud to nurture life-long learners who realize life’s challenges must be embraced with enthusiasm and joy.”
Dunbar has lived in Escalon for more than 15 years, and she is also the organist/pianist at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oakdale. She presented at the 2015 Microsoft Global E2 conference (where she earned two global awards for project excellence) and will be presenting at ISTE 2016 (with noted educator Angela Maiers), CUE 2016, ETC! 2016 and CTA’s Good Teaching Conference 2016. Follow her @TammyDunbar or find her at www.teachergeekischic.com.
The annual Woman of the Year ceremony celebrates California’s extraordinary women. The first ceremony was held in 1987 to help commemorate Women’s History Month. The event has become an annual Capitol tradition to salute women who have done outstanding community service. This year’s honorees were presented with a framed certificate recognizing their outstanding contributions during a ceremony hosted in the Assembly chambers.
