NEA's American Education Week (AEW) spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great.

Our annual tagline, Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility, reflects the Association's calling upon America to provide students with quality public schools so that they can grow, prosper, and achieve in the 21st century.

In 2009, the 88th annual American Education Week will take place November 15-21. Each day during the week spotlights a different aspect of school life:

• Thursday, November 19: Education Support Professionals Day.  Individuals who provide invaluable services to schools are recognized for their outstanding work.
• Friday, November 20:  National parental Involvement Day.  

  The Parental Involvement Pledge

• AS A PARENT, GRANDPARENT, OR CARING ADULT, I hereby give my pledge of commitment to help our community's children achieve a truly independent future. My declaration of responsibility and commitment to my public schools is stated in these five self-evident truths as spoken by President Woodrow Wilson: 
  • As Americans, we are the owners of the public school system.
  • As owners, we bear a responsibility to participate in the system.
  • Accountability for our public schools, their safety, and its employees and its funding rests with us and the rest of the system's owners.
  • Our children's future depends on the improvement of the public schools.
  • And this improvement depends on our participation.

  THEREFORE AS A PARENT,GRANDPARENT, OR CARING ADULT, I take personal responsibility for my child's safety and education and the safety and education of the children in this community.

  • I pledge to volunteer a minimum of five hours of my time to my public schools each semester.
  • I pledge to spend a minimum of fifteen minutes each school night reading with my child or we will work together on homework and enrichment activity.