Trump has reportedly passed on handing out this year’s National Teacher of the Year honors.
The award and its ceremony is a honored tradition that each U.S. President since Harry Truman.
This year’s honoree, an African American man named Rodney Robinson, is a social studies educator that’s detached at a juvenile detention center in Richmond, Va. Robinson will have to settle on receiving his awards from the Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos .
Last year, Trump recognized the significance of the award and honored Educational leaders and their efforts to reach students everyday.
“Every president since Harry Truman has honored the National Teacher of the Year, and I’m proud to continue this tradition with this year’s recipient: Mandy Manning, of the state of Washington,” Trump said in his speech last year.
At that ceremony, Manning who teaches English to refugees and immigrants handed Trump a letter from an immigrant student that politely urged Donald to clear up his controversial language regarding immigrants and refugees in this country. Perhaps, that experience left a lasting impression on him.
A White House spokesperson for the Council Of Chief State School Officers was quick to point out to Politco.com that there has been occasions in the past where someone other than the president has given out the award, but could not offer any explanation on why Trump will not be able to attend this year.
Meanwhile, Rodney Robinson has vowed to call attention to equitable funding on schools, showcase HBCU, and to continue to promote teaching as a profession.
