[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8753 of November 14, 2011

American Education Week, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Ensuring our future leaders and innovators receive a complete and
competitive education is fundamental to our Nation's economic prosperity
and our role as a thriving democracy. During American Education Week, we
acknowledge the central role education plays in our society and resolve
to make rigorous and lasting investments in our education system so the
American dream remains within reach of each of our children.
From small towns to our largest cities, schools serve as laboratories
where students test new ideas and kindle new academic interests. In the
classroom, young people cultivate scholarship, discover talents they
never knew they had, and build the skills they need to pursue careers of
their choosing. And with every step they take toward their future, our
students are guided by men and women who work tirelessly to help them
realize their full potential. Teachers, administrators, and other
education professionals are unfaltering in their dedication to giving
children the education they deserve, and it is essential we do our part
to help them succeed. To secure a bright future for our students and our
Nation, we must support educators by strengthening our schools, creating
better opportunities for professional development, and recruiting top
college graduates to be our next generation of devoted teachers.
The task of preparing our children for a lifetime of scholarship and
achievement rests not only in the classroom, but also in our homes and
neighborhoods. Parents, community leaders, and mentors play a vital role
in cultivating a love of learning and instilling in our children the
self-confidence, creativity, and discipline that serve as a foundation
for success. Together, our families, schools, and communities carry a
profound responsibility to do right by our children. This week and
throughout the year, let us strive to fulfill that promise.
By working toward thoughtful education reform and making every classroom
a place of high expectations and high performance, we can take steps to
ensure our future generations are prepared to uphold our founding
promise of opportunity, and to make great discoveries and develop
groundbreaking ideas here in America. During American Education Week, we
renew our promise to give our children the chance to achieve their
dreams and to write the next proud chapter in the American story.

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NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 13 through
November 19, 2011, as American Education Week. I call upon all Americans
to observe this week by supporting their local schools 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 fourteenth day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA