Tara Cunningham
Tara Cunningham is a dedicated educator with more than 30 years of experience supporting students across a wide range of grade levels and learning needs. Her career began at just 22 years old in Garden Grove Unified, where she spent nearly a decade building a strong foundation in classroom instruction. Over the years, she has served in a variety of roles, including middle and high school honors English teacher, where she developed curriculum across multiple grade levels, and combination support teacher with Azusa Unified, providing targeted interventions in math and writing. Tara has consistently focused on helping students build confidence and skills, particularly those who may struggle in traditional classroom settings.
Most recently, Tara served as an ELD Coordinator at a Los Angeles middle school, where she led a school-wide intervention program designed to improve reading and math outcomes. Under her coordination, the program achieved an impressive 40% increase in student performance. Although the program ended due to funding cuts, the impact of her work continues to be reflected in her students’ success and appreciation—moments like being invited to a former student’s quinceañera and hearing that she played a role in their path to graduation remain especially meaningful to her. Throughout her career, she has also worked extensively with ESL students and multilingual communities, including the Chinese community, tailoring instruction to meet diverse linguistic and cultural needs.
Today, Tara is channeling her extensive experience into rebuilding her tutoring platform, where she supports students from kindergarten through college essay writing. She is passionate about working with both students who need additional support and high achievers seeking enrichment, creating personalized, student-centered learning experiences that foster growth and confidence. Driven by a deep commitment to education and a belief in every student’s potential, Tara continues to make a lasting difference by helping learners find their voice, strengthen their skills, and achieve their goals.
• ESL
• Multiple Subject Credential
• CLAD Credential
• Master's in Clinical Mental Health
• University of San Diego - Education Major with Multiple Subject Credential
• California State University, Long Beach California Clear Credential
• University of Phoenix Master's Degree, Mental Health Counseling/Counselor
• North Tustin Chapter of National Charity League
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• National Charity League (various causes including services for the blind
• Breast cancer awareness
• Ronald McDonald House)
• Alzheimer's and Dementia Care for Seniors
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to resilience, self-discipline, and a strong sense of personal standards that were instilled in me early on. My grandmother used to call me “Tenacious Tara,” and that has truly stayed with me—I don’t give up easily, and I don’t allow challenges or negativity to define me. Over time, I’ve learned to separate external criticism from my own sense of worth and stay focused on what I can control.
I was raised in an environment where expectations were high, and that shaped both my work ethic and my mindset. I’ve always held myself to a high standard and taken pride in doing things well. That upbringing taught me the importance of perseverance, accountability, and maintaining a strong sense of self, even in difficult or high-pressure situations.
At my core, I’m self-driven and grounded in who I am. Even from a young age, I was confident in my choices and values, regardless of my surroundings. That confidence, combined with a commitment to hard work and integrity, has guided me throughout my career and continues to influence how I approach both my professional and personal life.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I've got two pieces of advice that have really shaped me. The first was from Father O'Leary when I was at USD, and he said: Stop it. Don't react. Act. Think about it. That is one of the hardest things you can ever do, is not react when someone says something awful to you or you're in a position that's icky. Just act, don't let it get you down. It's been hard for me because I'm a Libra, so we tend not to go Richter until we go Richter, so I try not to ever say anything. My own advice to myself that goes along with this is never say any words that you can't retract. So be very careful what you say in the moment. The other piece of advice came from my very first principal, Judy Kitesis, who gave me my first chance and is my mentor for sure. She said you can be one of the best and the brightest, but never stay in a grade level longer than 3 years, never stay at a school longer than 5, and never stagnate in your career. Keep growing so you don't get bored. She also told me that anyone from Newport Beach could go teach there because it would be an easy job with kids from good homes, but in Garden Grove we had a diverse learning climate. She said my gift would be to stay and make a difference with this kind of student, and that's where I should be because I know what it's like to be on the other side of that.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would encourage young women to be proactive in promoting themselves and their work. Opportunities don’t always come unless you make your presence and value known. It’s also important to remain a lifelong learner, avoid becoming stagnant, and be open to working with diverse and underserved populations where you can truly make a difference.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in education today is the loss of funding for impactful programs, along with a growing reliance on rigid, textbook-driven instruction that can limit creativity in the classroom. However, there are also exciting opportunities, particularly in the growing demand for targeted tutoring and support for English language learners. This creates space for more personalized, flexible learning solutions that truly meet students where they are.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is huge for me - I think if you're dishonest, you lack integrity. Commitment and respect are also critical, and by respect I mean respect yourself, respect others and their opinions and values even if they're not yours. You don't need to be all up in them. I don't enjoy people that do that. I think you don't necessarily have to be a religious person, but I think it's important to believe that there is more out there than just yourself, so not be a narcissist but believe that there's an energy out there. You know how sometimes you'll be thinking about someone and then they show up? I just believe that people should believe in more than just oneself. And to find contentment - you're not always going to get everything that you want, but if you can just be content and grateful for what you have, I think that's so important. Like with having had breast cancer, I never thought I'm gonna die or anything like that. I was just so grateful that I got to go through minimal treatment, just surgeries basically. So just to be grateful for what you have.