This evening, First Lady Jill Biden is hosting the first-ever "Teachers of the Year" State Dinner at the White House. This event will honor the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman from Tennessee, and the State Teachers of the Year from across the country for their excellence in teaching and commitment to students' learning. Ahead of tonight's dinner and Teacher Appreciation Week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new efforts to strengthen the teaching profession and support schools across the country.
In an excerpt from her prepared remarks, Dr. Biden welcomes teachers to the White House, saying: "Tonight, we celebrate you, because teaching isn't just a job. It's a calling, and 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. To answer the call of teaching, 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 possibility of tomorrow. You help them find the light within themselves, and that light lives on in all of you."
As a classroom teacher for over 30 years, Dr. Biden continues to teach English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has been a professor since 2009. From championing teacher recruitment and retention, opportunities for career-connected learning, and more affordable options for education after high school, including free community college, Dr. Biden continues to shine a spotlight on educators and the teaching profession. This is the fourth year Dr. Biden has welcomed the National and State Teachers of the Year for a celebration at the White House.
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the U.S. Department of Education, American Federation of Teachers, and the National Education Association are supporting this event. CCSSO oversees the National Teacher of the Year Program, which identifies exceptional teachers across the country, recognizes their effective work in the classroom, engages them in a year of professional learning, and amplifies their voices.
