[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 16, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 80983-80984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27756]



[[Page 80981]]

Vol. 81

Wednesday,

No. 221

November 16, 2016

Part IV





The President





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Proclamation 9540--American Education Week, 2016



Proclamation 9541--Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, 2016



Proclamation 9542--National Apprenticeship Week, 2016
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 221 / Wednesday, November 16, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 80983]]

                Proclamation 9540 of November 10, 2016

                
American Education Week, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                With great potential to prepare our young people for 
                the world they will inherit and lead, education 
                provides one of the most essential foundations for 
                prosperity and opportunity, strengthening our democracy 
                and civic life and serving as a pathway to economic 
                success. It helps cultivate passion and inspire young 
                people to build and create; analyze and discover; 
                understand and empathize with the people around them, 
                and through education, students can form a deeper 
                understanding of history and society, literature and 
                languages, and how things work and why they do. During 
                American Education Week, we recognize the importance of 
                education and renew our commitment to bringing a better 
                education within reach for all our people.

                America's high school graduation rate is now the 
                highest ever recorded, and the hard work people across 
                our country have put in is paying off. States have set 
                higher, better standards to help us out-teach and out-
                compete other nations. Teachers are going that extra 
                mile to create meaningful and memorable lessons, rather 
                than merely teaching to a test, and we have given them 
                more flexibility to do so through the Every Student 
                Succeeds Act--a bipartisan bill I signed last year to 
                improve schools, give State and local lawmakers more 
                control, and target resources to where they are needed 
                most. But across our country, there are unfortunately 
                still too many places where we can do far better for 
                our students. Too many schools are underfunded and lack 
                the resources or structures they need to prepare 
                students for success, and for far too many students, 
                their zip codes still determine how far they can go.

                From strengthening high-quality early education and 
                preschool to bolstering access to higher education, my 
                Administration has made improving our education system 
                a priority for our students from their first days of 
                school to the days they start their careers. Nobody 
                should be priced out of a higher education, so we are 
                striving to make college more affordable and provide 2 
                years of free community college for any student willing 
                to work for it. We also reformed the student loan 
                system and expanded Pell grants to more students. The 
                demands of our global economy and changing technology 
                require students to learn real-world skills such as 
                computer science in the classroom, so we are bringing 
                new technology and digital tools, including high-speed 
                internet, into classrooms to modernize education. And 
                because too many girls, young people of color, and low-
                income students are not encouraged and underrepresented 
                in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) 
                courses and careers, we are investing in ways to 
                broaden STEM participation as well as working to train 
                more STEM teachers.

                Empowering students of all ages, backgrounds, and 
                beliefs to challenge themselves to reach higher, 
                education can lift up a generation, allowing them to 
                carry the torch of progress forward and make our world 
                a better place. This week, let us recommit to the 
                important work that remains and ensure every student in 
                America can access the support, resources, and 
                opportunities they need to thrive.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution

[[Page 80984]]

                and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim 
                November 13 through November 19, 2016, as American 
                Education Week. I call upon all Americans to observe 
                this week by supporting their local schools and 
                educators through appropriate activities, events, and 
                programs designed to help create opportunities for 
                every school and student in America.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-first.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-27756
Filed 11-15-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P