Tennessee Woman Wins National Teacher Of The Year
"She makes everyone feel important."
Courtesy Tennessee Department of Education
A 30-year teaching veteran from Rogersville, Tennessee has been named 2024’s National Teacher of the Year.
Missy Testerman is the program director for English as a Second Language (ESL) and a teacher at Rogersville City Schools. She was picked from a group of 55 State Teachers of the Year from around the country and US territories.
“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,” a release from the Council of Chief State School Officers said.
Testerman said she knew she wanted to become a teacher when she walked into her kindergarten classroom for the first time.
"I was very scared," Testerman remembered, but said her teacher, Mrs. Brown, took her by the hand and led her over to her other classmates and the toys.
"From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be like Mrs. Brown," she told CBS Mornings.
According to her supporters in Rogersville, Testerman has succeeded in that goal.
Courtesy Tennessee Department of Education
Stephanie Smith has known Testerman as a student and now as a colleague and fellow teacher. Smith said Testerman is a great person who makes the kids feel welcome while also holding them to extremely high standards.
"She makes everybody feel important," Smith said. "She's the best."
Testerman said her favorite part about teaching is “being the person who gets to unlock the love of learning in our students.”
As National Teacher of the Year, Testerman will use her year of service advocating for students and for teachers.
Courtesy Tennessee Department of Education
"I want to empower teachers to use their voice," Testerman told CBS. "They are the experts in our classroom they know what our students need they know what our challenges are."
Testerman said teacher pay is among her top concerns for her profession and she maintains that reports of a "teacher shortage" are false.
"We have a lot of trained teachers out there," she said, many of them "highly effective educators," who have been forced to leave the profession to make more money for their families.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who is also a teacher, surprised Testerman on the set of CBS Mornings to congratulate her on her win.
"I always say teachers are our heroes and I wanted to be here today to celebrate Missy as I love celebrating teachers," Biden said.
Biden also announced the first ever Teachers of the Year "state dinner" at the White House on May 1 to honor Testerman and other teachers.
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