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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 1998

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Teacher Day is approaching. Initially a lonely, passionate crusade by an Arkansas school teacher in 1943, it disappeared, reappeared and bounced around the calendar over the years. But finally it has found a home: on the first Tuesday of May.

This year that's May 5.

During World War II, teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began writing to political and educational leaders, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, about proclaiming a day to honor the selfless efforts of the nation's teachers. For a decade the two women corresponded, until in 1953 the widow of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt prevailed at last on the Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day for that year.

In the late '70s, other teachers from Dodge City, Kan., pestered Congress again. Finally, in 1980, the august body acted and chose March 7 as National Teacher Day. Again, the legislation proclaimed it for one year only, so the National Education Association (NEA), with support from some other education groups, took on the task of keeping the celebration alive.

Local Communities Praise Teachers

The event shifted around from March to November until, in 1985, it settled on the first Tuesday of May. That's where it remains 13 years later, as the event, with little national promotion, grows in popularity every spring.

In addition to city hall proclamations, apples, flowers, and special banquet celebrations, here are some of the more creative ways communities have endorsed the occasion in recent years:

• In Rockville, Ind., three speech class students taped public service messages which local radio stations aired.

• In Erie, Pa., a billboard at the second-busiest intersection in the tri-state area heralded the day, with miniatures of it sent to each teacher with the message, "Supporting you in a BIG WAY."

• In Scott County, Kan., bumper stickers were printed, stating "If you can read this, thank a teacher."

• Elsewhere, student essay contests with themes such as "A Teacher to Remember," were conducted; local merchants offered special drawings and discounts for teachers, and radio disk jockeys invited students to dedicate songs or give tributes to special teachers.

Schools Offer a Hub and a Hope

NEA President Bob Chase, who began his career as a middle school social studies teacher in Danbury, Conn., 33 years ago, offers a theory on the day's continuing popularity. "Public schools have traditionally provided people with a hub and a hope, particularly in smaller towns," he suggests. "So much healthy activity -- social life, sports, music, commerce, intellectual and civic stimulation -- centers on the school and the doors its teachers open for the community's next generation of leaders."

As more and more of society's problems spill over onto school campuses, teachers are increasingly being asked to provide guidance and sustenance as well as old-fashioned book-learning to their students, he notes.

Recalling his teenage years, actor Michael Douglas recounts, "More and more families, particularly when both parents are working, are asking for schools and teachers to discipline their kids. It's almost like there is nobody at home anymore. So school teachers have not only to educate, but they have to discipline."

Douglas, Santana Recall Teachers' Influence

Most people can recall at least one teacher who played a critical role in their lives.

Douglas remembers John Joseph, his English literature teacher. "I was not a great student," he says. At age 15, "I was struggling for confidence and he was the first teacher who gave me some appreciation for my writing skills."

Musician Carlos Santana recalls how, after he immigrated to California from Mexico at age 13, one of his teachers put him on the path to his musical career. "Mr. Knudsen was special to me because he knew something I didn't know about myself." The teacher recognized his talents both as an artist and a musician, and convinced the boy to choose one or the other "and give it 100 percent."

"When he told me that, I started crying. I had never had anyone care about me as a person," Santana relates.

Teachers Give Back To Their Communities

Surveys consistently show that most teachers build intimate ties with their communities, involving themselves in countless extracurricular and civic activities. Seven out of ten say they chose the profession because of their desire to work with young people, NEA's latest report on "Status of the American Public School Teacher" found.

It also showed that most hold master's degrees and live within the districts where they teach. On average, they have 16 years experience in the profession and devote 50 hours a week to teaching and job-related activities. As a reflection of the commitment they make to their pupils' success, they spend more than $400 a year out of their own pockets to respond to student needs that would otherwise go unmet. That adds up to a billion-plus dollars annually.

"By setting aside one day a year to honor those women and men who helped sculpt the destiny of the town's children, parents and politicians alike seem to welcome the chance to thank some very important members of their extended family," NEA's Chase says.

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.