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The White House
Teacher of the
Year
President Barack Obama
I credit my education to Ms. Mabel Hefty just as much as I would any
institution of higher learning.
When I entered Ms. Hefty's fifth-grade class at Punahou School in the
fall of 1971, I was just a kid with a funny name in a new school,
feeling a little out of place, hoping to fit in like anyone else.
The first time she called on me, I wished she hadn't. In fact, I wished
I were just about anywhere else but at that desk, in that room of
children staring at me.
But over the course of that year, Ms. Hefty taught me that I had
something to say -- not in spite of my differences, but because of
them. She made every single student in that class feel special.
And she reinforced that essential value of empathy that my mother and
my grandparents had taught me. That is something that I carry with me
every day as President.
This is the simple and undeniable power of a good teacher. This is a
story that every single kid in this country, regardless of background
or station in life, should be able to tell. Sharing stories like these
helps underline the vital importance of fighting for that reality.
Today, I'll honor Shanna Peeples as the 2015 National Teacher of the
Year.
Tomorrow, I'll travel to a local library that serves as a hub of
learning in the Anacostia community of Washington, D.C. America's
librarians, like our teachers, connect us to books and learning
resources that help us dream big. They help ensure that we continue
learning throughout our lifetime. And that's something that more kids
ought to be able to access.
So while I'm at the library, I'll announce new efforts to provide
popular books to millions of underprivileged children and young adults
around the country and connect more students to their local libraries
-- because we know that reading just 20 minutes a day can make a
tremendous difference in a student's success.
President Barack Obama
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