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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2000

News Release

Teachers Help Students Soar

National Teacher Day is May 9

Washington, D.C. -- For Carlos Santana, it was Mr. Knudsen. For Clint Eastwood, it was Gertrude Faulke. For Jane Seymour, it was Miss Dulaka. For Kurt Russell, it was Mr. Brunner and Mr. Allen. For Michael Jordan, it was Miss Hardy. For every teacher that inspired these celebrities, another one is inspiring the more than 46 million children in public schools today. On May 9, National Teacher Day will honor teachers, recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives.

"On May 9, we salute those individuals who have dedicated their lives to shaping the future," said National Education Association (NEA) President Bob Chase. "But thanking America's teachers is more than providing them with the proverbial apple. Real gratitude comes from community and parental involvement within local schools."

Nearly two-thirds of the nation's public school teachers live in and around the schools where they teach, involving themselves in countless extracurricular and civic activities. Seven out of ten teachers say they chose the profession because of their desire to work with young people, according to NEA's "Status of the American Public School Teacher" 1996 report. But turnover rates among new teachers are high and support systems for them are weak.

Here are a few facts worth noting on National Teacher Day:

• Research shows that the single most important factor in a child's education is the quality of his or her teacher. (What Matters Most: Teaching for America's Future, 1996.)

• At least 30 percent of new teachers leave the classroom within five years. (What Matters Most: Teaching for America's Future, 1996.)

• The average teacher spends $408 of his or her own money each year to meet the needs of their students. (Status of the American Public School Teacher, 1995-1996.)

• Teacher salaries increased by 1.9 percent over the decade when adjusted for inflation - much less than salary increases in other professions. Salaries for similarly educated professionals such as accountants, for example, rose 5.6 percent over the same period. Earnings for computer analysts rose 7.4 percent, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor. (Rankings & Estimates: Rankings of the States 1999 and Estimates of School Statistics 2000.)

• More than 25 percent of all public school teachers are male. It's interesting to note that the states with the highest salaries tend to have the highest proportion of male teachers. And the reverse is also true. Policymakers should address this wage gap, especially when considering the need to resolve the teacher shortage and attract more men and minorities into the teaching profession. (Rankings & Estimates: Rankings of the States 1999 and Estimates of School Statistics 2000.)

• Educators in their 20's earn an average of $7,894 less than other college graduates their age. This pay gap only worsens over time. (Quality Counts 2000 annual report.)

• 93 percent of general elementary teachers and 92 percent of subject-matter teachers are fully certified in the field of their main teaching assignment; 85 percent of teachers have participated in programs to improve their skills since the end of the last school year. (1999 National Educational Goals Report.)

• National Board certifications for teachers have tripled in the last year. Thousands of teachers are now certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards - the most challenging professional development achievement for teachers. This year, 10,000 more teachers are candidates for this distinguished achievement. (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards 1999 Report.)

• For more good news about public education, log onto NEA's web site at www.nea.org/publiced/goodnews.

An idea 55 years in the making

Mattye Whyte Woodridge would be proud of how far National Teacher Day has spread. An Arkansas teacher who felt the need to honor her colleagues across the country, Woodbridge began a writing campaign to promote her idea, which caught the ear of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. After a decade of correspondence, the widow of Franklin Delano Roosevelt prevailed on the Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day for 1953. In the late 1970s, teachers in Dodge City, KS, lobbied Congress to create a national day celebrating teachers. In 1980, Congress responded, declaring March 7 as National Teacher Day. Since the legislation proclaimed it for only one year, the National Education Association, with the support of other education groups, has kept the celebration alive.

After 55 years of being shuffled around the calendar, it officially found a home in 1985: the first Tuesday of the first full week of May.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.