Community Corner
Pleasanton Teacher Has Made A Difference For Thousands Of Students
Tony Dennis turned Pleasanton's Career Technology Education Pathway into one of the most successful in the Bay Area.
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PLEASANTON, CA — Great teachers matter. In Pleasanton, we're fortunate to have teachers like Tony Dennis.
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This submission comes from Kevin Kiyoi who nominated Tony Dennis of Pleasanton.
Teacher’s name
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How do you know the teacher?
As a fellow teacher at Amador Valley High School
What does this person teach?
Engineering (Career Tech)
Why do you believe the teacher should be recognized or honored?
Tony Dennis is one of the most dedicated teachers that I have had the pleasure to work with in my 27 years of teaching. Because of Mr. Dennis’ passion for education, the Career Technology Education Pathway in Pleasanton is one of the most successful programs in the Bay Area. He has built an Engineering Program from scratch that dwarfs opportunities that are available in most school districts, offering four different courses in Engineering principles that encapsulate the knowledge and understanding of what it takes to become successful in a STEM career.
This past year he spent his Spring Break in Panama with a group of students, helping to build a new school for the children of a small town - a passion project that he initiated on his own, to give his students the hands-on experience of putting Engineering principles to practice while helping the Global community.
As the Career Tech Education Department Head at Amador Valley High School and the Project Lead the Way Coordinator for the entire Pleasanton Unified School District, Mr. Dennis’ leadership has helped inspire the growth of the Biomedical, Culinary and Computer Science programs that offer Pleasanton students the opportunity to thoroughly explore career pathways before college. A former Pleasanton Teacher of the Year, Mr. Dennis has never slowed down in his commitment to offering quality education to the students of Pleasanton, and his selflessness acts and attitudes as both a teacher and an individual are inspiring.
What's one thing you want everyone to know about the teacher?
He has made a difference in THOUSANDS of students over the years, as his alumni consistently come back to share how meaninful his classes have been when compared to the college experience. He is a key reason why Amador Valley High School is one of the best opportunities in the Bay Area for students to learn, because he makes the teachers around him better through his leadership by example.This content is brought to our community in partnership with T-Mobile.
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