Celebrate public education during American Education Week
November 17, 2015
Nov. 16-20, 2015, marks the 94th annual observance of American Education Week. American Education Week presents Americans with an opportunity to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education.
This year’s theme, “Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility,” spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through post-secondary and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great. The theme also reflects NEA’s vision of calling upon America to provide students with quality public schools so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century.
Wednesday, Nov. 18 will be a special day to honor the school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals and other education support professionals who positively impact our school communities. Friday, Nov. 20 will be a special day to honor the work of substitute educators.
The National Education Association was one of the creators and original sponsors of American Education Week. NEA and the American Legion were distressed that 25 percent of the country’s World War I draftees were illiterate. Both groups met in 1919 to seek ways to generate public support for education.
The conventions of both organizations subsequently adopted resolutions of support for a national effort to raise public awareness of the importance of education. In 1921 the NEA representative assembly called for designation of one week each year to spotlight public education.
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