Quinlan Named National PLTW Biomedical Science Teacher of the Year

The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Board of Education recognized staff members Kimbre Sargent, Director of Categorical Programs, and Angela Quinlan, Pacific High School Career-Technical Education and Demonstration Teacher, at the January 20, 2026, Board meeting.

The Board of Education recognized Sargent for being the California Association of Administrators of State and Federal Education Programs (CAASFEP) 2025 District State & Federal Leader. Sargent, a former SBCUSD principal, was selected by CAASFEP members based on her exemplary leadership, dedication and impact in implementing and managing state and federal education programs at the school district level.

Announced in October 2025 as part of CAASFEP’s inaugural awards program, the District State & Federal Leader Award recognizes Sargent’s strong commitment to advancing equitable and effective state and federal education programs in the service of students, educators and school communities in her role as director of Categorical Programs. SBCUSD’s Categorical Programs department helps monitor and implement District and school budgets and state and federal programs, including the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) and the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The Categorical Programs department also oversees the School Site Council (SSC), a decision-making body that represents school and community partners at every SBCUSD campus.

Quinlan was recognized by the Board of Education for being the National Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Biomedical Science Teacher of the Year. Quinlan was one of just seven teachers and administrators nationwide recognized by PLTW for the 2025–2026 school year. PLTW honored her, in part, because “As lead of the Biomedical Pathways [at Pacific], chair of the Biomedical Advisory Board and a TIP mentor, Quinlan empowers students and colleagues alike with a passion for transforming the future.”

Quinlan is proud of the Gold-certified Biomedical Pathway she leads at Pacific, but she is especially proud of her students. Students in the Biomedical Pathway integrate various science disciplines with medicine through honors-level coursework that focuses on hands-on activities and project-based learning in a new, state-of-the-art building. Biomedical Pathway graduates are not only ready to succeed in college, but they are also ready for careers in the medical field right out of high school.

According to Quinlan, even though the award was announced earlier this school year, she still hasn’t been able to wrap her head around the fact she was selected for this national honor and that it was her students who nominated her.

“Actually, [the award] seems unreal, but I am honored because it was my students who recognized me,” Quinlan said.