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Philadelphia teacher chosen to attend White House event

Ann Leaness, an English teacher at the Franklin Learning Center, was one of 20 teachers nationwide selected to attend the Teacher Appreciation Social.

TEACHER ANN LEANESS plans to have the time of her life today at the White House, where she is scheduled to meet Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, educator Jill Biden.

"This is going to be a ton of fun," she said last night.

Leaness, a 10th- and 12th-grade English teacher at Franklin Learning Center in Spring Garden, was one of 20 teachers selected nationwide to represent their school districts at the Teacher Appreciation Social at the White House. The event commemorates National Teacher Appreciation Week - May 5-10.

The teachers, many of whom have been communicating with each other through Twitter since they were selected last week, may meet for breakfast this morning before heading to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., said Leaness, 55, who'll live tweet from the event, including the hashtag #WHSocial.

"I am so proud to represent every single teacher in Philly," said the 25-year educator, who has worked in the district for nine years. "We are all working really hard to do what is best for kids."

Leaness filled out a short survey on the Whitehouse.gov site "on a whim" last month and was informed Thursday that she was chosen to attend the event.

She said she's also eager to meet Jill Biden, who "has been actively teaching even as the second lady. That shows such passion for the teaching profession."