Teacher of the Year gave Trump letters from refugee, immigrant students
The woman named this year’s National Teacher of the Year said she gave President Trump letters written by her immigrant and refugee students in a separate meeting outside of Wednesday’s award presentation.
Mandy Manning, who teaches immigrants and refugees as part of the “Newcomer Center” at Joel E. Ferris High School in Washington state, told CNN that she spent most of her acceptance speech discussing her students.
Trump presented Manning with the Teacher of the Year award Wednesday, but media was not permitted to cover her remarks.
Manning also said that she and Trump met separately and that she personally delivered the president hand-written letters from her students, explaining who the letters were from.
According to Manning, Trump said he was excited to read the letters. She also invited him to the school to meet her students.
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As Teacher of the Year, Manning told CNN that she wants to “elevate my students’ voices and be that vehicle for them.”
“My goal is to share my student stories,” Manning said. “But to send a message, to not only by immigrants and refugee students but the LGBT community, that they are wanted, they are loved, they are enough and they matter.”
“Her incredible devotion has earned her the adoration — total adoration, actually — and respect of students and colleagues throughout her school district, community and the entire state,” Trump said at the ceremony.
“Teachers like Mandy play a vital role in the well-being of our children, the strength of our communities and the success of our nation,” he added.
Manning’s students come from countries like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan, according to her award application.
“Most of my students come to the U.S. seeking safety, but they don’t always feel safe here,” she wrote in her application. “I must help them understand current events, know their rights, and provide a safe and welcoming environment.”
The Trump administration has moved to limit the number of refugees entering the U.S., citing threats to national security.
Trump has issued travel bans on refugees from several majority-Muslim countries and announced in 2017 that no more than 45,000 refugees would be allowed into the U.S. this year.