Lee's Summit R-7 teacher meets president as part of White House event honoring Teachers of the Year from all states
June 30, 2010
By Janice Phelan
Susanne Mitko is pictured with President Barack Obama during a recognition of the nation's top teachers, held at the White House in the Oval Office.
Susanne Mitko, a social studies teacher at Bernard Campbell Middle School, was among state Teachers of the Year honored last spring during a national recognition held during April in Washington, D.C. Ms. Mitko is the R-7 School District's 2009-10 Teacher of the Year and was named Missouri Teacher of the Year in fall 2009. As Missouri Teacher of the Year, she was among Teachers of the Year from all 50 states who were honored at the national recognition. The event also included selection of the National Teacher of the Year. As part of the special celebration, the state Teachers of the Year participated in a session with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and visited the White House's Oval Office to meet with President Barack Obama. The four-day recognition event included several training sessions, receptions and meetings to provide the top teachers the opportunity to network and meet with U.S. Department of Education and other government officials. Ms. Mitko has taught seventh-grade social studies at Bernard Campbell Middle School for six years and has taught for a total of 18 years. She was named Lee's Summit Teacher of the Year in spring 2009 and was chosen for the state recognition following an extensive application process, including a personal interview with a nine-member selection committee appointed by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
