National Teacher of the Year: Give Us a Career Path

ARTICLE: "National Teacher of the Year: Give Us a Career Path"

by Liana Heitin

Rebecca Mieliwocki, the 2012 National Teacher of the Year, is on a mission to give her profession a facelift. When she received her award in April, the 7th grade science teacher from Burbank, Calif., said she planned to use her yearlong platform to help restore "dignity and admiration to teachers." She has also been outspoken about her support for tiered career ladders—coupled with differentiated pay—as a way to give teachers more career-advancement opportunities.