Behind every successful leader there’s a successful teacher—and probably many of them. As part of the Department of Education’s new TEACH campaign to recruit the next generation of teachers, several Obama administration officials sat down to remember educators from their days in school. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, a Nobel-Prize-winning scientist, talks about the high expectations of his physics teacher. Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the vice president and a teacher for 30 years, remembers a high school composition teacher with “a presence.” Col. John Tien, who advises President Obama on military policy, thanks a journalism teacher for making him a better leader and a better person. Melody Barnes, who works in the West Wing as the president’s chief domestic policy adviser, credits a teacher for turning her life around. Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett’s mother was a teacher who encouraged her to “aim high.” And Reggie Love, the president’s personal aide, recalls his A.P. history teacher.
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Business leaders have also joined the TEACH campaign. In this video, Microsoft founder and education philanthropist Bill Gates talks about two teachers who had a big impact on his life and career—one in math, the other in English and drama.
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Visit TEACH.gov to view these and other videos about the impact teachers can have, and find your own pathway into this essential and rewarding profession.