American Education Week Fact Sheet
The National Education Association's 88th annual American Education Week—November 15-21, 2009—presents all Americans with an opportunity to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring every child receives a quality education. Our AEW tagline, "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility," reflects NEA's vision of calling upon all Americans to do their part in making public schools great for every child so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century.
The weeklong celebration will spotlight distinguished individuals 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 16: Open House Day. From national commemorations to local community events such as American Education Week house parties, millions of Americans will celebrate public education nationwide.
Tuesday, November 17: 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 18: Education Support Professionals Day. Individuals who provide invaluable services to schools are recognized for their outstanding work.
Thursday, November 19: Educator for a Day. Community leaders will be invited to serve as educators to get a glimpse at a day in the life of a school employee.
Friday, November 20: Substitute Educators Day. This day honors the educators who are called upon to replace regularly employed teachers.
To help plan and promote American Education Week's celebration days, NEA is offering an online toolkit, complete with promotional materials, activity ideas, and downloadable templates.
The toolkit is available at www.nea.org/aew.