Burbank's Mieliwocki takes Teacher of the Year honors

“I carry with me all of their talent, all of their ability, all of their experience; it has made me who I am,” she said in an interview after her award was announced Monday.

Raised in Napa, Mieliwocki has spent nine of her 13-year career with Burbank Unified. After finishing the school year at Luther Burbank Middle School, Mieliwocki will take a one-year sabbatical to act as the spokeswoman for public education and collaborate with national policy makers.

Burbank Unified Supt. Stan Carrizosa, school board Vice President Debbie Kutka and former Luther Burbank Middle School Principal Anita Schackmann were making their way through Los Angeles International Airport on Monday to catch a flight to Washington D.C. for the White House ceremony when they received the news.

He and his colleagues are ecstatic, said Carrizosa, adding that Mieliwocki exemplifies everything that is right about public education.

“We are so excited that she is going to be a national spokesperson because she will carry with her the core values of our school district, Carrizosa said. “We believe in our school district and our system, and we are happy she is going to be the ambassador for that.”

Next week, Mieliwocki will return to Luther Burbank Middle School, where district officials have scheduled a homecoming celebration.

“We are some of the hardest working people in America,” Mieliwocki said. “We do a very difficult job and we love that job. We are so passionate about that. We are intelligent, reasonable people. We welcome thoughtful discourse about education and how to change it.”

She is still getting a feel for her new role, but among her priorities will be to ensure that teachers feel appreciated and supported, Mieliwocki said.

“It is very important to me that educators feel empowered, that they feel comfortable in their role as educators, that they feel validated,” she said.

Stephen Ceasar at the Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.

megan.oneil@latimes.com

jason.wells@latimes.com