National Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki addressed National Education Association (NEA) delegates Thursday in Washington. This is the last day of the NEA's annual meeting.
Mieliwocki, an English teacher at Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank, Calif., was honored in a ceremony at the White House in late April.
“Rebecca is the definition of ‘above and beyond,’” President Obama said at the ceremony. “And so are many educators across the country. Every day, when teachers like you put in long hours, or dig into your own pockets to pay for school supplies, or tweak lessons so they’re even better than they were last year, you’re not just serving your schools or your students, you’re also serving your country.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the National Teacher of the Year Program, which honors educators chosen at State Teacher of the Year in their home states.
The National Education Association is the nation’s largest labor union with over 3 million members representing public school teachers, support personnel, faculty & staff at universities, retired educators & college students preparing to become teachers.