Since 1994, the Central California Chinese Cultural Center has partnered with the Tulare County Office of Education to honor exemplary teachers through the Confucius’ Birthday Celebration honoring the Educators of the Year. Each year, members of the Chinese Cultural Center hold a dinner celebration in late September to honor one elementary, one middle, and one high school teacher. The event is not open to the public. For more information on the Educators of the Year Awards, contact Marlene Moreno at marlenem@tcoe.org.
2023 Educators of the Year
Educators of the Year were recognized at an invitation-only dinner held on September 21, 2023. Read the New Gallery Week about the 2023 Educators of the Year. Watch the entire tribute video made for the 2023 winners, or click the winners' names below to watch their individual films.
Renee Carson, Sixth-Grade GATE Teacher
Elementary School Teacher of the Year
Westfield Elementary School, Porterville Unified School District
Monica Robles, Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Mathematics Teacher
Middle School Teacher of the Year
Burton Middle School, Burton School District
Renee Thornburg, Agriculture Teacher
High School Teacher of the Year
Woodlake High School, Woodlake Unified School District
Educators of the Year Hall of Fame
2019
Terri Dillard, Rockford School District
Anderson Schmidt, Sunnyside Union School District
John Lujan, Porterville Unified School District
2018
Paul Meador, Traver Joint School District
Omar Lopez, Burton School District
Zilda Hilliard, Tulare Jt. Union High School District
Carol Tuttle-Pilling, Farmersville Unified School District