Missy Testerman understands that the classroom is only one place in which students learn—and she has embraced her role as a teacher beyond the school door.
Testerman’s achievements and devotion to her students in and out of the classroom has led her to being named the 2024 National Teacher of the Year. Testerman, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at Rogersville Elementary in rural Tennessee, steps into the role with 33 years of dedicated work under her belt—and a lifelong commitment to the power of learning.
For more than 70 years, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) identifies and recognizes exemplary teachers from each state, U.S. extra-state territories, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity, through the National Teacher of the Year Program. CCSSO selects State Teachers of the Year, and from that group, the National Teacher of the Year is chosen by a selection committed composed of individuals and education organizations
Testerman has taken a remarkable path to becoming the 2024 Teacher of the Year, from her first days stepping into class as a kindergartener herself to her notable work with immigrant students and those whose second language is English. Throughout, she has worked tirelessly to support the most vulnerable—and promising—of her students in many expansive ways, from sitting alongside immigrant families at graduation to testifying for a student in a courtroom.
Great Expectations
Testerman’s calling to become a teacher came early—in kindergarten. She said she loved the experience of learning ever since she first stepped into a classroom.
“I think it was just being the oldest child—wanting to help other people that had developed in me,” Testerman said in an interview. “I loved being around my teacher. I loved being around my classmates.”
Her love for the classroom grew as she did. In fifth grade, Testerman had a teacher, Mrs. Stooksburg, who pushed her in ways she hadn’t experienced before. More than anything, Mrs. Stooksburg challenged her to push herself beyond what she thought she could do.
“Learning came very easy for me, except for math,” Testerman said. “I did not put forth enough effort because I didn’t have to. Ms. Stooksbury was the first to call me out on that. It really hurt my feelings.
“But I still understood what she was saying,” Testerman, who grew up working class and was the first in her family to graduate college, continued. “That initiated a drive in me. She had such high expectations for me.”
That drive to meet those expectations propelled Testerman to work for three decades as a first- and second-grade teacher at Rogersville City School in Rogersville, a small town nestled in the rolling Appalachian mountains in northeast Tennessee. And it was in Rogersville where Testerman encountered a new motivation by way of a young child holding up six fingers.
More Alike Than Different
Rogersville, Tennessee, is a small town of less than 10,000 people nestled in the rolling Appalachian mountains in northeast Tennessee. Founded by the grandparents of Davy Crockett, this small town boasts the vibrant, complex history of settlement common to towns across the wider immigrant nation. Yet, Rogersville had become less familiar with more recent immigrant waves.
“While all of us in this area that we call ‘God’s Country’ are immigrants, the old
Appalachian, Scotch-Irish immigrants sometimes forget this, resulting in tension between the
‘from here’ and ‘not from around here’ groups whose main difference is that some families
arrived centuries ago, and some families arrived very recently,” Testerman said in her application. “I wanted my students to internalize that humans are more alike than different.”
“We had an immigrant family come into the school, and the child held up six fingers,” Testerman said in an interview, describing the moment she realized how much help newcomers needed. “What we did not know at that time was that he had not gone to school. He was six. He had no school experience.”
“He was very challenging and headstrong,” Testerman said. “But he was also afraid. I was a mom, and I saw that fear in him and I wanted to make that better. I knew he wasn’t going to learn anything or settle down until he wasn’t fearful.”
“A lot of my families come into our community with no support,” Testerman said. “So they don’t know how to access things like the library or. where they pay for the electric bill. They have no real connections to anyone else.”
“For a long time, we did not have a teacher who had English language learners. So a lot of times, the school was their only connection to the outside community. It all just sort of evolved.”
Sensitive by nature, Testerman extended her clear awareness of her students’ needs into her work as a teacher. She developed a thoughtful curriculum to show students how people are more similar than different and helped lift students’ testing scores. She started an academic awards ceremony, invitations and all, to encourage students to meet high expectations.
“Missy has always eagerly taken on extra responsibilities and enrichment activities,” said Kari Fields, Rogersville City School’s librarian and media specialist. “She tirelessly works to make our school the best learning environment for all students, but also, strives to increase student confidence and self-esteem in each of these additional endeavors.”
”Missy has proven to be a devoted educator with a drive for excellence by setting high standards while giving students the necessary tools to learn and succeed in the educational environment.”
‘You have to be brave’
Testerman’s lifelong motivation to meet—and often exceed—high expectations has extended her work outside of the classroom. She has made medical appointments for students in need, helped a student’s mother with difficult administrative tasks, and even simply sat with immigrant families at graduation.
And her inner drive has pushed her to make bigger moves, as well. After a plumbing issue at her school led to raised concerns but little action by the district, Testerman led an effort to increase teacher association membership to force a response. Furthermore, this effort led to collective bargaining.
“As a teacher, I feel that it’s my role to advocate for my students,” Testerman said. “When I came into teaching, the idea was that you just have to shut the door and teach. But for me, I remember that our students go back out into the world. Our advocacy has to extend beyond the classroom.”
One of Testerman’s most notable acts as a teacher was in an unexpected setting: A courtroom. She had been asked to testify in a case about the sexual abuse of a student. The student, unaware of what had fully happened, mentioned it in class.
“She told me things that still haunt me to this day,” Testerman said. On the day of the trial, the decision was made to spare the child some of the details.
When it came her turn to testify, the attorney general’s child advocate came up to the door where she was sitting and said, “It’s time.” Testerman was terrified, but something compelled her to gain composure. After her testimony, even the defense attorney had no questions.
“Since that time, those words have had great significance to me,” Testerman said.
“You have to do what you have to do. You have to be brave.”
‘I’m glad you’re here’
Testerman’s ability to show up for her students can be illustrated in what she tells them when they step into her door.
“When they get there – whether they get there and you’ve already got 27 kids in – you say, ‘I’m glad you’re here,’” Testerman said. “And if the other students hear you say, ‘I’m glad you’re here,’ everyone hears that they’re welcome.
“Everything is a choice,” Testerman said, explaining her thought behind such small gestures. “Whether it’s been a good day, whether it’s been a bad day, I’m on your side and I”m going to do what I can to get you where you need to be.
When speaking more broadly about the work of a teacher, Testerman emphasized that her thoughtful, powerful work in and out of the classroom is not the exception. She said she feels as if she is the lucky one who gets to advocate for America’s teachers.
“All of our teachers across the country are working so hard to prepare their students for a bright future,” Testerman said. “There are 1.5 million teachers doing the same thing. Teachers are always going to be an important part of society.”
