Contact: Dina Martin, (650) 552-5491 or (415) 710-6794
On the eve of California Day of the Teacher, the California Teachers Association is launching a statewide television ad to honor educators and classified school employees for the important roles they play in our neighborhood schools and the education of our children.
“Just about everyone has a story of a favorite teacher, one who provided the inspiration, guidance and support to help them reach their goals. Despite the obstacles of larger class sizes and fewer education programs due to severe budget cuts, educators are still doing that every day in classrooms throughout the state,” says CTA President David A. Sanchez.
“This is also a time to honor the men and women who drive the buses, run the cafeterias, secure the campuses and keep our school campuses clean and safe places for our students to learn,” Sanchez says.
California Day of the Teacher will be observed on Wednesday, May 12. This special observance was established 28 years ago to honor teachers and the teaching profession in California. This year’s Day of the Teacher theme is “California Teachers: Creating Brighter Futures.” Nationally, Education Support Professionals Week will also be observed May 16-22.
“California Day of the Teachers and Education Support Professionals Week are perfect opportunities to recognize these men and women for the work that they do, but it is bittersweet because it is also time to recognize the thousands of others who have received pink slips and will not be returning to our classrooms next year. The cuts must stop now if our students are expected to achieve and succeed,” says Sanchez.
As the ad says at one point, “They are partners with parents and our communities. Teachers and education support professionals are part of the solution to building stronger schools and a better California for all of us.”
The statewide TV ad will run for two weeks.
The commercial, an e-card to send a special message to your favorite teacher, and other Day of the Teacher materials and information are posted on the CTA website: www.cta.org, as well as our YouTube and Facebook pages.
Video of news conference