This article originally appeared in the fall 2019 edition of the School of Education's magazine, Advancing. To view a PDF, click here.
Leading the Way
Jessica Tunney, the 2019 Lauds and Laurels Distinguished Alumna from the UCI School of Education, is an innovative school leader and passionate advocate for authentic, hands-on learning and inclusive instructional practices in schools.
A lifelong learner, teacher and teacher educator, Jessica Tunney is dedicated to making sure schools offer rich and rigorous learning opportunities to all students, including students with special needs and those from historically underserved communities.
With this fully inclusive vision of education in mind, Dr. Tunney in 2018 founded TLC Public Charter School in Orange. TLC is unlike any other school in Orange County, with classrooms that bring together gifted students, culturally and linguistically diverse students, students who develop typically, and students with special needs for lessons and learning activities that have been thoughtfully differentiated and universally designed by teams of co-teachers to be accessible to all. The school’s innovative curriculum also emphasizes critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity through the integration of enrichment programs in art, music, dance, gardening, and technology to prepare the next generation of students for an increasingly complex and connected world. |
TLC is already demonstrating the local demand for an inclusive educational option for families. The school opened last year with just 55 students (TK - 4th grade), and will be home to 125 students in the upcoming school year, with plans to expand through grade 5.
“TLC is a place where each child matters, every child is included, and all children can learn, ask questions, and develop their own unique passions and interests,” said Tunney, who serves as TLC’s founding executive director and principal. “TLC was created not only as a site to model established research- and evidence-based strategies for inclusive education, but also as a space for innovation, research, and the development of new approaches to teaching and learning in diverse settings. TLC is a learning organization rooted in the local OC community and committed to movement towards a more just, equitable and inclusive world.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education in New York City, Tunney began teaching elementary grades K-5 and was an early literacy specialist in Brooklyn, New York. Combining her practical expertise in teaching with her knowledge and interest in theories of learning, Tunney began facilitating professional learning for practicing teachers in New York City on topics of integrated curriculum design, neurodiversity in learning, and differentiated instruction.
Tunney moved to California in 2005, and began working as a fourth-grade teacher at the nationally acclaimed inclusive model CHIME Charter School in Los Angeles. She entered the UCI School of Education’s doctoral program in 2010, shortly after relocating to Orange County, and focused her research on teacher preparation and professional development to promote educational improvement and change. In 2016, she obtained a Ph.D. in Education, with a specialization in Learning, Cognition, and Development.
“Pursuing a doctoral degree at the UCI School of Education enabled me to deeply investigate longstanding questions I carried throughout my career in education,” Tunney said. “I was curious to understand more about learners and learning, teachers and teaching, and the ways schools can be organized to support students in cultivating their own goals and interests as independent thinkers.”
The Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award is given to UCI alumni whose personal or professional achievements bring honor and distinction to a particular school or discipline, the university, or the UCI Alumni Association. The 2019 event was the 49th annual ceremony.
“With the skills and deep understanding of both research and theory I developed through my studies at UCI, I have been able to bring the promises and vision of inclusive education to life in practice with clear focus and intent. The result has been the launch of TLC as Orange County’s first fully inclusive public-school option that is also a site of innovation, continued professional growth, and joyful learning for everyone involved.”
“TLC is a place where each child matters, every child is included, and all children can learn, ask questions, and develop their own unique passions and interests,” said Tunney, who serves as TLC’s founding executive director and principal. “TLC was created not only as a site to model established research- and evidence-based strategies for inclusive education, but also as a space for innovation, research, and the development of new approaches to teaching and learning in diverse settings. TLC is a learning organization rooted in the local OC community and committed to movement towards a more just, equitable and inclusive world.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education in New York City, Tunney began teaching elementary grades K-5 and was an early literacy specialist in Brooklyn, New York. Combining her practical expertise in teaching with her knowledge and interest in theories of learning, Tunney began facilitating professional learning for practicing teachers in New York City on topics of integrated curriculum design, neurodiversity in learning, and differentiated instruction.
Tunney moved to California in 2005, and began working as a fourth-grade teacher at the nationally acclaimed inclusive model CHIME Charter School in Los Angeles. She entered the UCI School of Education’s doctoral program in 2010, shortly after relocating to Orange County, and focused her research on teacher preparation and professional development to promote educational improvement and change. In 2016, she obtained a Ph.D. in Education, with a specialization in Learning, Cognition, and Development.
“Pursuing a doctoral degree at the UCI School of Education enabled me to deeply investigate longstanding questions I carried throughout my career in education,” Tunney said. “I was curious to understand more about learners and learning, teachers and teaching, and the ways schools can be organized to support students in cultivating their own goals and interests as independent thinkers.”
The Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award is given to UCI alumni whose personal or professional achievements bring honor and distinction to a particular school or discipline, the university, or the UCI Alumni Association. The 2019 event was the 49th annual ceremony.
“With the skills and deep understanding of both research and theory I developed through my studies at UCI, I have been able to bring the promises and vision of inclusive education to life in practice with clear focus and intent. The result has been the launch of TLC as Orange County’s first fully inclusive public-school option that is also a site of innovation, continued professional growth, and joyful learning for everyone involved.”