Tess Barnes Dunn was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and spent her childhood throughout the southern United States. Tess holds a Bachelors of Arts magna cum laude in History and Classical Studies from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, a Masters of Arts cum laude in Roman Archaeology from Nottingham University in England, as well as four years as a Doctoral Candidate in Archaeology Studies at Oxford University. As an academician, Tess has held research posts at Nottingham University, Oxford University, and the Smithsonian Institute. As an archaeologist, she has traveled, lived and worked throughout the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East – especially in the North African country of Tunisia.
Upon her return to the United States in the Autumn of 2001, Tess embarked upon a career in secondary education and leadership in premiere private schools – and has loved every minute of it! She was a founding faculty member at the well-respected Carlbrook School in Halifax, Virginia. She has held teaching and administrative positions at the well-established Oakley School in Oakley, Utah; Gateway Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah; Alpine Academy in Erda, Utah, Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences in Hilo, Hawaii, and at Montford Hall in Asheville, North Carolina. She is thrilled to serve the students and families of the Franklin School of Innovation in order to teach American History II, journalism and an elective on the Philosophy and Ethics of Warfare.
Tess is a devoted educator, committed to preparing all students with essential skills, which include the ability to think critically, communicate logically, work collaboratively and challenge themselves intellectually. She believes in a learning experience that weaves knowledge from across the curriculum, including art, language, literature, math, science, and therapy through collaborative learning, Multiple Intelligences, experiential education, Socratic reasoning, and Project-based learning. Most of all, Tess believes in every student’s potential to be brilliant.
In her leisure time, Tess enjoys hanging out and laughing with her son, an aspiring baker, and her husband, a law librarian – as well as her dogs, Bobby and Lyndon, who are both lovable and brainless. In her leisure time, Tess enjoys being outside as much as possible and has remained an avid student of history and archaeology, reading presidential biographies and taking courses on a myriad of subjects in history, languages, and literature.
