On April 30, 2003, during a ceremony in the East Gardens at the White House, President George W. Bush presented the 2003 National Teacher of the Year award to Dr. Betsy Rogers of Leeds Elementary School in Jefferson County, Alabama. As of June 1, 2003, Dr. Rogers will begin her full-time, one-year term as the national education ambassador.

In her remarks at the White House Ceremony, Dr. Rogers shared her vision of the ideal educational system where all children are entitled to learn, regardless of circumstance and background. She said, “We all want to live in a country where all our children are valued so much that there would never be an issue of equity in education. We all want to live in a country where it would be unthinkable for any child not to have a highly qualified teacher.”

Also honored at the event were the 2003 Teachers of the Year from each of the 50 U.S. States, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the U.S. confederate territories of American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands.

Visit our photo gallery of the events that honored the 2003 Teachers of the Year.

2003 NTOY Program Conference (January 23-26, 2003) TOY Technology Training Session (April 29, 2003) SMARTer Kids Foundation Dinner (April 29, 2003) White House Ceremony (April 30, 2003) Black Tie Reception and Gala (April 30, 2003)