Jill Biden’s First-Ever ‘Teachers of the Year’ State Dinner Set for Thursday
Jill Biden’s First-Ever ‘Teachers of the Year’ State Dinner Set for Thursday
Teacher of the Year Missy Testerman to be honored with the finalists.
As promised, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s “Teachers of the Year” State Dinner will be held Thursday, the White House announced Monday.
And the honoree, 2024 National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman, couldn’t be more excited.
“I’m thrilled to be attending the state dinner and to be able to share the experience with my family and also the State Teachers of the Year cohort,” says Testerman, who took time out of a sculpture tour in Washington, D.C. to talk to East Wing Magazine.
The state dinner will honor Testerman, the 2024 Tennessee Teacher of the Year and all the State Teachers of the Year from across the country for their excellence in teaching and commitment to students’ learning. Testerman is an English-as-a-second-language specialist and program director who works to ensure students are prepared to advocate for their limited English proficient families.
The first lady, a teacher herself, will deliver remarks, and Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will attend, according to the White House.
“Other than my wedding day and having my children, this is probably the next top ranking experience for me,” Testerman says. “I’ve been very privileged to enjoy a lot of things throughout my life. But, I’m not sure anything else ranks up with having dinner with the first lady of the United States.”
“Other than my wedding day and having my children, this is probably the next top ranking experience for me,” Testerman says. “I’ve been very privileged to enjoy a lot of things throughout my life. But, I’m not sure anything else ranks up with having dinner with the first lady of the United States.”
Testerman said she and the other Teachers of the Year received an emailed invitation to the White House state dinner stating that formal attire was required. She laughed about the buzz among her and the other finalists who have been busy dress shopping. This is not the first time Testerman has been to the White House. She noted that she toured the White House in the past through a request to her Congressman’s office.
“I’m excited to see the State Dining Room,” Testerman says. “I’m also excited to spend time with Dr. Biden and I’m holding out hope to meet President Biden.”
In her rural Appalachian community, Testerman builds bridges between cultures—families who have been in the area for centuries and newer immigrants—through a curriculum focused on a study of Americans from diverse backgrounds, allowing students to better understand that people are inherently the same and that they all belong, according to the The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
The message the first lady is sending by honoring teachers with a state dinner did not get lost on other educators across the country, according to Testerman.
“I’ve actually heard from several teachers who were very touched by just the fact that Dr. Biden would choose to honor America’s public teachers in this way,” she says. The fact that [Dr. Biden] planned an entire event just for public school educators really means a lot to us and to the profession to show that our work is appreciated.”
Testerman will be accompanied by her husband, son, daughter and her son’s girlfriend. The other attendees were also allowed to bring a guest.
The CCSSO runs the National Teacher of the Year Program. Each year, states, U.S. extra-state territories, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity select outstanding educators to serve as State Teachers of the Year. From a cohort of 55 State Teachers of the Year, the National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee, comprising 16 individuals and education organizations, selected finalists based on written applications.
In early April and in a surprise visit to the set of “CBS Mornings,” the first lady congratulated Testerman and announced then that Testerman and other top educators for the first time will be honored at the White House with their own state dinner. State dinners are a diplomatic gesture usually reserved for heads of state.
“I’ve been teaching over 30 years, just like Missy has, and I always say teachers are our heroes,” Biden said at the time.