Teacher Appreciation Week is
Monday, May 4, through Friday, May 8, 2015. According to information
from Hallmark and the National Parent Teacher Association, people in the
United States started celebrating National Teacher Day in 1953 when
Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded Congress to set aside a day to recognize
educators. Then, in 1984, the National PTA designated the first week of
May as a special time to honor those who lend their passion and skills
to educating our children. This year, the School District of the
Menomonie Area is partnering with UW-Stout to make Teacher Appreciation
Week a community-wide celebration.
There are many opportunities for
expressing appreciation and gratitude for the teachers and other
education personnel who have impacted our lives. At 4:00 p.m., on
Monday, May 4, a public ceremony will be held at the UW-Stout Student
Center Outdoor Amphitheater, during which university and school district
officials will issue a public proclamation in recognition of Teacher
Appreciation Week. Menomonie High School teacher Sue Halama will give a
keynote address, and Chancellor Meyer will join me and representatives
from the university’s School of Education in the signing ceremony.
The Teacher Appreciation Week
Committee at UW-Stout has also been working on securing a day of
discounts for educators next week, as well as encouraging other
community displays of appreciation. There will be a wall of teacher
accomplishments on display in the lobby at the UW-Stout Memorial Student
Center, and local businesses interested in participating in Teacher
Appreciation Week are invited to post signs or messages on their
marquees. Some other ideas for expressing appreciation to teachers
might include sending a letter, email, or other message of gratitude,
making a phone call, posting a tweet with the hashtag #ThankATeacher, or
giving an apple, treat, or some other gift.
It is no secret that the past few
years have included many difficult changes for educators and other
public employees in Wisconsin. While the impact of the Great Recession
was felt across the globe, other less-related policy changes at both the
federal and state levels have greatly impacted public education in
Wisconsin and the perceived value of educators. It is important to note
that, despite what we sometimes hear from the media, satisfaction
related to education is actually increasing.
According to an article about recent
polling information, Rebecca Riffkin stated, “For as long as Gallup has
measured it, U.S. parents of school-aged children are more likely to be
satisfied with the quality of their child's education than Americans are
with the quality of education in the country. Most parents are
satisfied with their child's education, while historically the majority
of Americans have been dissatisfied with the quality of U.S. education.
This long-evident "optimism gap" may result from Americans focusing on
press reports of inadequate schooling in problem school districts when
they are asked about education nationally, but focusing on what they
perceive as a much more positive local situation when asked about the
education of their own children.”
In Menomonie, we are very fortunate to
be living in an area very rich in educational opportunities. The School
District of the Menomonie Area continues to grow and develop its
distinction as a “destination district” providing ALL children with a
rigorous and well-rounded education that prepares them for much success.
UW-Stout continues to add to a long history of success as Wisconsin’s
Polytechnic University, and it continues to offer innovative,
career-focused degrees based on active learning, applied theory, and
research.
Should school stakeholders have any
questions about the Teacher Appreciation Week, or anything else in our
school district, I invite you to visit the Administrative Service Center
on Pine Avenue or contact me at 715-232-1642. More information about
our schools can be found on the school district website (www.sdmaonline.com) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/sdmaonline).