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Not present: the president, the vice-president, the first and the second ladies.
Neither the vice president nor the president had any events on their public calendar that seemed to be in full conflict with the ceremony. The awards ceremony was scheduled to begin at 14:30. and Trump met the Baylor Women's Basketball Team at 3:45 pm. – his only public appearance scheduled for the day.
The White House official declined to say why the president did not organize the event this year and the education department was referred to the White House to explain why the president does not would not participate. Trump then met 2019 winner Rodney Robinson at the Oval Office Monday afternoon.
The second lady, Karen Pence, also a teacher, will be hosting a breakfast for the year 's teacher at the Vice President' s official residence on Thursday, her spokeswoman, Kara Brooks, told CNN. Vice President Mike Pence also met with Robinson later on Monday, according to a tweet posted on his official account.
CNN had previously reported that Nancy Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Council of Heads of Public Schools, said her organization understood that Trump would not be present at the event and that DeVos would instead present the national award to Robinson.
According to the Board of Public School Officers, Robinson has been teaching for 19 years and received the award after teaching for several years at a juvenile detention center in Virginia.
At a TED conference in 2018, Robinson criticized the Trump administration's policies, calling young people to act.
"Today, in the face of a government that attacks minorities, denies the rights of gays, lesbians and transgender people, a government that separates asylum-seeking families and locks their children in cages. are not the adults who must resist these inhuman acts, "said Robinson. "It's the kids who have to show the way, so get up, young people, what you do best."
Rodriguez told Politico that the Council of Primary School Principals knew at least nine times that another member of the administration, such as the vice president or the first lady, had awarded the prize. Teacher of the year in the place of the president.
The winners of the 2017 and 2018 National Teacher Awards of the Year have both clearly expressed their political tendencies – which seem to contrast with many Trump administration policies.
Mandy Manning, winner of the 2018 National Award, made headlines for giving Trump letters from her refugee and immigrant students. She has also created Teachers Against Child Detention, a group that says its members are "concerned about the well-being of innocent immigrant children in US custody."
In February, the group led a training in El Paso, Texas, alongside activists and several state professors of the year shortly after Trump's speech in the border town.
Sydney Chaffee, recipient of the 2017 National Award, strongly expressed her belief that social justice must be respected in schools, explaining how education can be a tool for social change in her bid for the award. She presented a TED talk on the subject in November 2017.
Eli Watkins, Kate Bennett and Ellie Kaufman of CNN contributed to this report.
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