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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2002

News Release

American Education Week, Nov. 17-23, 2002

Education staff, parents, and communities team up to make schools successful

Washington, D.C. - The National Education Association (NEA) today asked the country to use the upcoming American Education Week (AEW), Nov. 17-23, to celebrate all the good news in our public schools and commit to working together to help all students achieve.

This year's theme, "Making Public Schools Great for Every Child!" reflects the crucial need for cooperation and hard work among education staff, parents, and community members to provide all children with a quality education.

"Helping all students achieve is the goal of our work as parents, teachers, and public school employees," said NEA President Reg Weaver. "This is the time to remind ourselves that teaching and learning are a home and classroom team effort."

Weaver also recommended that despite these challenges, "Everyone who works hard to make public schools great ought to take a moment to honor their many successes." He offered recent examples of impressive achievements in learning, teaching, and parental involvement:

• California public schoolers have made great strides on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The percentage of fourth graders scoring at the highest two levels in math increased 36 percent between 1996 and 2000, and the percentage of eighth graders doing the same increased 50 percent between 1990 and 2000.
• Since 1989, Illinois' SAT college entrance examination scores have skyrocketed, moving from seventeenth to fifth overall in the nation. The state's verbal SAT scores have risen 18 times faster than the national average, and its math SAT scores have jumped almost four times faster than the national average.
• New Jersey ranks #1 in the nation in the percentage of public high schools (98 percent) offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses. More than 7 out of 10 New Jersey students scored high enough on AP exams to earn college credit.
• The numbers of Maryland teachers and Alabama teachers honored with certification from the prestigious National Board of Professional Teaching Standards have increased fivefold and sixfold, respectively, since 1999. The vast majority of public secondary school teachers in these two states hold a teaching certificate in their main teaching assignment.
• Parents in Kansas are getting more involved in their children's education. Fully 100 percent of fourth-grade parents in Kansas participate in parent-teacher conferences, and the state is tops in the nation in attendance among public school eighth graders.

NEA was one of the creators and original sponsors of AEW, which began in 1921 as a way to build public support for our nation's schools. Today, AEW is held annually the full week prior to Thanksgiving, and its cosponsors are the U.S. Department of Education and twelve national organizations including the NEA.

Also at the initiative of the NEA, each Wednesday since 1987 (Nov. 20 this year) has been set aside as a special day to honor Education Support Professionals-the administrative assistants, classroom aides, maintenance and cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and others who provide invaluable services to schools. "No matter what their job, all school professionals help students develop their minds and learn important life lessons," added Weaver.

Events and activities are being planned in schools around the country to emphasize this team effort. Students are exercising their creativity in poster contests and thank-you gifts to school staff. Parents are attending PTA dinners and visiting classrooms to talk with teachers, principals, and other school staff about how they can aid in their child's progress. Members of the local community are volunteering their time to speak with students about their work, hobbies, and civic interests.

To learn more, visit the American Education Week section of NEA's web site. For local activities, contact the NEA state affiliate in your area. To hear about good news from your state, see the "Good News About Our Public Schools" section of NEA's web site.

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