The average person may think that the week of November 13th – 19th was unremarkable, simply labeled “the week before Thanksgiving.” That person is wrong. In fact, last week marked the 90th anniversary of American Education Week, seven days devoted to celebrating the successes of this country’s teachers, students, and schools.
The week long holiday was started in 1921 by the National Education Association. The group, according to its website, wanted to create “an educational week…observed in all communities annually for the purposes of informing the public of the accomplishments and needs of the public schools.”
This begs the question of whether there should be a single week devoted to education. “I celebrate everyday – I love education. That’s why I’m here,” stated Madame McLaughlin.
Students felt the same way. “I think we should celebrate our teachers…They educate us for the future,” said Taylor Moore (’13).
Originally, American Education Week served as a way of drawing attention to how far public schools needed to go. In 1921, 25% of World War I draftees were illiterate, while 9% were not physically fit enough to serve. Nine decades later, just 1% of the population cannot read. The holiday itself obviously is not responsible for that improvement, but it probably played some part in increasing the role of the public in the education system.
“It’s important that to show the advancements we’ve made,” said Will Coughlin (’12).
“I think we need to have a time where see education in a positive light – so many times what we see is the negative,” mused Mrs. Craig, a biology teacher.
At North Point, the Week is celebrated in several ways. Many teachers create lessons for their students around the theme of public education. And Mrs. Hill makes sure to mention it to her staff members.
