Tammy Dunn Advocates For Disadvantaged

Lexington School Board chair Tammy Dunn knew from a young age that she always wanted to work with people. Running for her third term, she wants to continue the work of helping schools rebound post-COVID.

Dunn has worked with the city of Lexington, in the realm of Youth Services, for 34 years. After being appointed to the Board twice before, she knew she wanted to take on the challenge of running for election because she has enjoyed the work so much.

“I run an after school program and a ‘Summer Fun’ program,” she explained in an email to The News-Gazette. “Through these programs I have interacted with a lot of young people and their families, formed a lot of relationships, and been a listening ear for many.”

Dunn is a Lexington native, having been born and raised here, attending Lexington City Schools, including the former Lexington High School. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in psychology from James Madison University, she returned to Lexington and got involved in working with the city. In 2019, she said, the “time felt right” to apply for the School Board, and she was appointed that year.

“My main concerns at the time were the SOL scores of our subgroups,” – including minority students and those who are economically disadvantaged – “which were below state average,” said Dunn. “Working with families and seeing some of their struggles, I felt the need to be an advocate and a voice for those who felt defeated by their own inability to feel like they had a voice of their own.”

After seeing her daughter through local schools, including Rockbridge County High School, Dunn felt a passion to help create “empowered learners, thinkers and citizens.” She is especially proud of the bounce-back that Lexington schools have seen since 2021, and feels personally invested in that recovery, as a result of being in the School Board through the entire pandemic and aftermath.

“Seeing the improvement in our SOL scores of our subgroups since 2019 when I was first appointed … is a true testament to the great work our teachers and staff did and continue to do for all students,” she said.

“The most gratifying part of the work is seeing all the happy faces and seeing all the good work our teachers and staff are doing to keep our students learning.”

Dunn knows that the work of improving Lexington’s schools is an ongoing, and sometimes slow, process. “There is always room to grow and do better,” she said. One thing she would like to see change in the system is more active attendance at School Board meetings from parents and concerned citizens.

“I would like to see more attendance at the School Board meetings so others can see what great things our students are doing and the wide range of learning opportunities available to our students,” she said. “There are many great things happening, but we only see a lot of people when there is a problem.”

Rather than focus on a small handful of pet issues, Dunn’s approach to School Board work is one of dedication, learning, listening and responding reasonably to any issue that may come before the board. She says that people unfamiliar with the process may be surprised to learn how intricate and full of moving pieces it is.

“[After being appointed,] the biggest surprise for me was how many pieces there are to make a school successful and [ensure it] functions properly,” Dunn remarked. “The School Board has requirements based on the Code of Virginia, receives guidance from the Virginia School Board Association (VSBA), and receives input from the superintendent, school staff, parents and City Council.”

But it’s her years of experience on the board that keeps her calm and eager to dig into the details of any project that comes across its table.

“[As] the current chair of the board, I have enjoyed being a part of what makes Lexington City Schools the best!”