“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” —Teddy Roosevelt
We appreciate and value the thousands of employees serving our San Luis Obispo County schools. Spring is a time nationally to recognize school employees and thank them for their service. Our California’s Day of the Teacher arose from legislation co-sponsored by the CTA and the Association of Mexican American Educators in 1982. Since then, every year in May, we honor instructional excellence in our schools, community colleges, and universities. National Teacher Day is May 6, and National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5-9. In 1986, California Senate Bill 1552 (Campbell) established the third week of May as Classified School Employee Week in order to recognize the vital contributions of classified employees. The California Department of Education encourages an annual recognition of school administrators on May 1 to celebrate those serving in leadership positions within our schools.
Our democracy needs and demands informed citizens. Consequently, our nation’s founders strongly supported the creation of schools serving the public. Thomas Jefferson said:
“Above all things, I hope the education of the common people will be attended to, convinced that on their good sense, we may rely with the most security for the preservation of a due degree of liberty.”
Education has the transformative power to empower individuals, foster critical thinking, and promote societal progress by equipping people with knowledge, skills, and the ability to make informed decisions. It ultimately leads to personal and societal growth. A well-educated populace is essential for democracy, social cohesion, and sustainable development. Education is a cornerstone of economic development and prosperity. Education equips individuals with the skills and knowledge to contribute to the workforce and drive innovation.
Once again this year, the Educational Employees Credit Union has joined forces with the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education and is hosting a series of thank-you activities throughout the county to recognize employees serving education. Thank-you activities this year include tickets to Libretto in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo Blues baseball, OperaSLO’s “The Wizard of Oz, and the Great American Melodrama in Oceano. Celebrations such as these serve as brief moments to acknowledge how valuable our employees are and how they impact generations of students. I encourage everyone reading this article to take time and thank those who serve the students enrolled in our schools throughout San Luis Obispo County.
Public servants are role models; their actions convey more than words, and our students learn from those in the educational community. Everyone who works in our schools can positively contribute to the lives of our students, especially in their formative years. Today’s teachers, custodians, bus drivers, clerks, administrators, assistants, and all other educational employees hold immense potential to bring about positive change in our society by demonstrating a duty of care. Join me in celebrating these outstanding individuals who embody the essential elements of educational excellence. It is an honor to serve as your County Superintendent of Schools.
PASO ROBLES PRESS MAGAZINE
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