The White House Blog: Education

The Power of Vision and Teacher Support

The great work from ordinary citizens is the foundation for a brighter future. Through a Champions of Change award, I had the honor of meeting with a strong group of such people from around the country at the White House. Our round table discussions with administration officials revealed the passion, courage and devotion guiding this group of teachers to make a difference in their own community. Although the topics varied from online learning to enhancing a child’s home life, one theme was clear: Supporting students by supporting teachers.

Recently, several states have been working toward building value-added teacher evaluation systems using current student testing data and improved teacher observation instruments. Several members in our discussion have a hand in building this process in their own state, including myself. There seems to be consensus teachers should be evaluated. However, simply labeling teachers will be counterproductive to our charge of raising student achievement. Teacher evaluations must be integrally tied to professional development and support.

Taking the Time to Listen

Earlier this month as I listened to educators from across the country discuss teaching and learning with White House and Department of Education officials, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride for what the discussion represented.

First, it was affirming that the views of those in the field are being honored, spotlighted, and listened to by the administration. This can only help deepen understanding of what it means to teach and learn, thereby hopefully helping to better match policy with the needs, challenges, and opportunities of those who are affected by those policies.

Additionally, the discussion represented the countless amazing individuals in this country who, like the thirteen educators present in the discussion, overcome tremendous obstacles every day in order to increase opportunities for children to learn. Teachers, students, parents, mentors, community members, counselors, administrators and other individuals who work to support students often times are in situations where the conditions required for success are insufficient. This is increasingly the case as amazing teachers across the country are faced with the prospect with losing their jobs at the end of this school year due to budget cuts.  Yet, those who can, fight on; they persist, and they carve space and hope for change to occur so that people can have a chance to fulfill their American dreams.

President Obama Welcomes Outstanding Teachers to the White House

On a day set aside for National Teacher Appreciation Day, President Obama hosted 2011's National and State Teachers of the Year for a reception in the White House Rose Garden. The President thanked them for their service to America's youth, and shared the story of one of his favorite teachers.

But even after all this time, I still remember the special teachers that touched my life.  And we all do.  We remember the way they challenged us, the way they made us feel, how they pushed us, the encouragement that they gave us, the values that they taught us, the way they helped us to understand the world and analyze it and ask questions.  They helped us become the people that we are today.

For me, one of those people was my fifth-grade teacher, Ms. Mabel Hefty.  When I walked into Ms. Hefty’s classroom for the first time, I was a new kid who had been living overseas for a few years, had a funny name nobody could pronounce.  But she didn’t let me withdraw into myself.  She helped me believe that I had something special to say.  She made me feel special.  She reinforced the sense of empathy and thoughtfulness that my mother and my grandparents had tried hard to instill in me -- and that’s a lesson that I still carry with me as President.

Ms. Hefty is no longer with us, but I often think about her and how much of a difference she made in my life.  And everybody has got a story like that, about that teacher who made the extra effort to shape our lives in important ways.

Join Secretary Duncan in Thanking a Teacher on National Teacher Appreciation Day

Ed. note: This was originally posted on the Department of Education blog.

In the video below, Secretary Duncan explains that today, May 3, “is a special day to give teachers the appreciation that they deserve every day,” and he asks all of us to join him in thanking a teacher on our own Facebook page.

Posting a simple “thank you” and the name of a teacher who has inspired you is just one small way to appreciate such important individuals, but it isn’t limited to only Facebook.  If you are a regular on Twitter, give a shout-out to your favorite teacher by using the hashtag #thankateacher, or feel free to thank teachers wherever you frequent online.  Some of us may be more comfortable picking up the phone or writing a quick note to a truly influential teacher, yet no matter your method of communication, we can all reach out and provide a heartfelt “thank you.” After all, if you can read this blog post, you have a teacher to thank.

Publicly recognizing great teachers is an easy way to show appreciation, but there are, of course, more enduring ways to elevate the teaching profession to its rightful place in our society.  We at the Department of Education know that support for teachers should be continuous, which is why one of ED’s top priorities is to continue strengthening the teaching profession. In an open letter to teachers yesterday, Arne said that he considers teaching “an honorable and important profession, and it is my goal to see that you are treated with the dignity we award to other professionals in society.” It’s about time we recognize teachers for what they truly are: the nation-builders of the 21st century.

Read more about Arne’s favorite teacher Mrs. McCampbell, and more about other ED events during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Click here for an alternate version of the video with an accessible player.