Mr. Bunn currently teaches 8th grade mathematics at Ethan A. Chase Middle School where he is also the math department chairperson, and an instructional coach. He believes that the best lesson kids learn from their teachers is “not always subject matter, but something much deeper, more profound, like caring.”
Denied an education as a child growing up in Cambodia, Mr. Bunn’s family survived the civil war in his country only by fleeing. He remembers dodging gunfire and landmines in the jungle while his family sought safety in refugee campus. These experiences, along with growing up in poverty as an English language learner, have led Mr. Bunn to lead with passion and compassion for students from all types of backgrounds.
An 11-year veteran of teaching, Mr. Bunn earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s degree from National University. Mr. Bunn is a resident of Menifee.
The Riverside County Teachers of the Year are selected from nearly 20,000 educators in the county. The rigorous application process requires candidates to spend time reflecting on, and carefully defining, their teaching philosophy. The county teachers of the year are selected on the basis of nominations by teachers, principals, and school district administrators throughout the county. Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where an outside selection committee reviews the applications on each district candidate and selects the four finalists. The selection committee then conducts on-site classroom visitations for each finalist before the county superintendent announces the Riverside County Teachers of the Year.
