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 the County Superintendent's office at 559-733-6301.
2026 Educators of the Year
Educators of the Year will be recognized at an invitation-only dinner held on September 17, 2026. Read the New Gallery Week about the 2026 Educators of the Year.
A video highlighting the three winners will be uploaded after the awards dinner.
Guadalupe Acosta, First/Second-Grade Teacher
Elementary School Educator of the Year
Saucelito School District
Maria Pacheco, Sixth-Grade Math and History Teacher
Middle School Educator of the Year
Rockford School District
Jeromy Blackwell, Social Science Teacher
High School Educator of the Year
Harmony Magnet Academy, Porterville Unified School District
Educators of the Year Hall of Fame
2025
Alicia Bovetti, Exeter Unified School District
Carmen Diaz, Alpaugh Unified School District
Ricardo Florez, Tulare Joint Union High School District
2024
Glenda Landin, Hope School District
Anthony Nguyen, Palo Verde Union School District
Jacob Avila, Visalia Unified School District
2023
Renee Carson, Porterville Unified School District
Monica Robles, Burton School District
Renee Thornburg, Woodlake Unified School District
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
Dennis Borges, Tulare Jt. Union High School District
2006
Nona Wilson, Earlimart School District
William Fulmer, Monson-Sultana Jt. Union School District
Carol Tuttle-Pilling, Farmersville Unified School District