American Education Week

Sample Newsletter Article

Use this sample article to alert local publications or your organization's newsletter concerning your American Education Week celebration. You may send it as is by printing out a hard copy or sending your contacts an electronic file. You can also adapt the article by including details about your event or activity.

AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK IS NOVEMBER 16–22, 2008
National Celebration Spotlights Individuals
Committed to Public Education

During American Education Week, November 16–22, 2008, Americans nationwide will join the National Education Association in raising awareness about the need to provide every child with a quality public education. This year's celebration highlights the importance of bringing together educators, parents, students, and communities in a unified effort to build great public schools. It also reflects NEA's vision of calling upon America to provide public school students with quality schools so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century.

"Public schools are the foundation of our country's prosperity and strength," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "We must honor all Americans who are committed and dedicated to giving our nation's children a basic right to a great public education."

To further reinforce American Education Week's theme, each day of the week will spotlight the different people who are critical in building great public schools for the nation's 50 million K-12 students. American Education Week's celebration days include:

• Monday, November 17: Open House Day. From national commemorations to local community events, millions of Americans will celebrate public education.
• Tuesday, November 18: Parents Day. Schools will invite parents into the classroom for a hands-on experience of what the day is like for their child.
• Wednesday, November 19: Education Support Professionals Day. Individuals who provide invaluable services to schools are recognized for their outstanding work.
• Thursday, November 20: Educator for a Day. Community leaders will be invited to serve as educators to get a glimpse of a day in the life of a school employee.
• Friday, November 21: Substitute Educators Day. This day honors the educators who are called upon to replace regularly employed teachers.

To help plan American Education Week's celebration days, NEA is offering a free, online toolkit, complete with promotional materials, activity ideas, and downloadable templates. The toolkit is available at www.nea.org/aew.