First lady Dr. Jill Biden shined a spotlight on educators making an impact during the inaugural Teachers of the Year state dinner on May 2. From the president to national dignitaries, academic instructors and support staff from every U.S. state, territory and the Department of Defense Education were honored with special recognition, in addition to receiving an award from the Council of Chief State School Officers.
“Teaching isn’t just a job. It’s a calling,” Dr. Biden shared during her opening remarks. “All of you were called to this profession for a reason. You believe that a better world is possible – and you make that world real, one student at a time.”
She highlighted the dire need for teachers who help stabilize students in the wake of uncertainty. Her speech gave thanks to those who remained committed to instructional learning time even when the pandemic made the pivot to a virtual classroom challenging. She also praised military teachers that support children of those in the armed forces, who often change schools between six to nine times before they graduate from high school.
“To answer this call of service, is in itself, an act of hope. You look at your students and don’t just see who they are today – you see all the possibilities of tomorrow,” said Dr. Biden. “You help them find the light within themselves. And that light lives on in all of you.”
Her words poetically reflected her passion for the teaching profession as she told the story of her grandmother who taught at a schoolhouse in New Jersey, which inspired her to teach.
After Dr. Biden’s speech, National Teacher of the Year Missy Testerman of Rogersville, Tennessee, took to the podium to talk about her transformative career of 31 years.
“Teachers are the ultimate facilitators of justice, fairness, equity and democracy. No profession in American history is as pivotal as ours” said Testerman, an English Language Learner (ELL) educator.
Testerman’s colleagues described her work as vital, as her role includes guiding students in making phone calls, trips to the bank and other new tasks for families transitioning into a new life in the United States. An overarching theme of the night was the importance of representation. Hundreds of educational organizations designated officials to attend the state dinner and advocate on behalf of K-12 students in need of funding for a brighter future.
“We need more mental health service providers especially for our newcomers and our multilingual learners,” D.C.’s honoree, Beth Barkley, emphasized. Barkley teaches human rights and social action at Cardozo High School.
Others agreed that more resources and supplies are needed to uplift students especially in places where there have been book bans and education repeals daily.
“The real threat is that public education is central to our democracy, central to opportunity, central for kids in communities to thrive. [Book bans are] just another obstacle to stop us from doing the best job we can to help all kids learn,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, told The Informer. “Every time there’s an obstacle that threatens a teacher, or makes it so hard that they leave the profession, or has them teaching on eggshells.”
Surprise guest President Joe Biden made an impromptu speech after his trip to North Carolina to address high lead levels in schools and homes. His comments reaffirmed efforts to ensure all schools receive the upgrades they need.
“The idea that we can’t do more in education seems to me to be a ludicrous notion,” said President Biden. “How can we be the most powerful, most meaningful country in the world without having the best education system in the world?”
The event, which was the first of its kind, was duly stamped with the approval of second gentleman Doug Emhoff, a former teacher, alongside the U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
“State dinners are traditionally reserved for kings and queens,” said Cardona. “This event gives teachers the level of national respect they deserve, a level of respect that is long overdue recognizing that teachers change lives and can save lives.”
