Obama honors Burbank educator as National Teacher of the Year
Posted: 04/24/2012 07:52:43 AM PDT
Updated: 04/24/2012 08:15:45 AM PDT
President Barack Obama congratulates the 2012 National Teacher of the Year, Rebecca Mieliwocki, who teaches at Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank, Calif., Tuesday, April 24, 2012, during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak)
Rebecca Mieliwocki, the Burbank school teacher who turned to education as a second career, was honored Tuesday by President Barack Obama as the nation's top Teacher of the Year.The Luther Burbank Middle School English teacher was accompanied at the White House ceremony by her extended family, including her husband, Duane, son, Davis, and her parents, Bill and Sue Lipschultz. Her mom and dad were both career teachers and ultimately inspired Mieliwocki to become a teacher when her previous jobs proved unfulfilling.
Mieliwocki (pronounced Milwaukee) is the "definition of above and beyond," Obama said in his introducton. "She throws herself into her work because she knows her students depend on it."
