Trump to skip handing out National Teacher of the Year Award

Rodney Robinson, of Richmond, Va., gestures during an interview at the Virgie Binford Educational Center, a school inside the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center in Richmond, Va. On Wednesday, Robinson was named the 2019 National Teacher of the Year. He will spend the next year traveling around the country as an ambassador for education and an advocate for teachers and students. less Rodney Robinson, of Richmond, Va., gestures during an interview at the Virgie Binford Educational Center, a school inside the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center in Richmond, Va. On Wednesday, Robinson was named ... more Photo: Denise Levoie / Associated Press Photo: Denise Levoie / Associated Press Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Trump to skip handing out National Teacher of the Year Award 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

When the 2019 National Teacher of the Year award is handed out on Monday, President Donald Trump will not be doing the honors.

“It is our understanding that the president will not be in attendance and that (Education) Secretary (Betsy) DeVos will present the award,” Nancy Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Council of Chief State School Officers which administers the program, said.

It has often — but not always — been a tradition that the president — since Harry Truman — hand out the award after it was developed in 1952.

In 2016, Waterbury history teacher Jahana Hayes won the national title which was presented by President Barack Obama. Last November, Hayes was elected to Congress representing Connecticut’s 5h District.

In 2017, with Trump in the White House, the award went to Sydney Chaffee, a public charter school teacher from Boston. During that ceremony, Trump called it “really something special” that an educator from charter schools, which he and DeVos support, had won.

Trump mentioned the tradition specifically when he handed out the award in 2018 to Mandy Manning in the East Room of the White House.

“Every president since Harry Truman has honored the National Teacher of the year,” he said at the time.

Manning, who teaches English to refugee and immigrant students in Spokane, Wash., used the opportunity to present the president with a stack of letters from her students. On her dress, she wore buttons that promoted Trans Equality, along with a button from the Women’s March and a rainbow-colored apple.

The 2019 National Teacher of the Year title goes to Rodney Robinson, who teaches social studies inside the Richmond, Va., Juvenile Justice Center.

“This year, I hope to be the voice for my students and all students who feel unseen, unheard, unappreciated and undervalued in America,” Robinson said in a statement.

The National Teacher spends a year away from his or her teaching duties to serve as a spokesman and advocate for the teaching profession.

The itinerary for what is billed as Washington Week and this year starts Sunday shows the award ceremony being held at the Eisenhower Building, 1650 Pennsylvania Ave., on Monday.

Paul Ferrari, the senior program director with the National Teacher of the Year Program, said CCSSO works with the White House to coordinate the recognition event.

“It is up to each administration to decide how to recognize the teachers, and it has varied throughout the 67-year history of the program in location and who has delivered the recognition to the National Teacher,” Ferrari said.

This year’s itinerary calls for Karen Pence, wife of Vice President Mike Pence, to host a breakfast reception for the teachers. The teachers also spend time on the Hill meeting with lawmakers.

Rodriguez said the schedule of events is still being finalized but two different events are on White House grounds. One is a recognition ceremony and reception and the other involves White House tours for the teachers.

One of the attendees will be Sheena Graham, a music teacher at Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport. Graham represents the state of Connecticut.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to network with and learn,” Graham said, adding she is excited.

Graham has been to the White House at least twice, performing a song she wrote with students from Tisdale School as part of the district’s Turnaround Arts program in 2016. It was a project endorsed by first lady Michele Obama.

“I cannot begin to describe the emotions that come over you as you pass through security and walk toward the entrance (of the White House),” Graham said.

She said it would be shame if teachers traveling from long distance didn’t get to experience that.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck