[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9439 of April 29, 2016

National Teacher Appreciation Day and National Teacher Appreciation
Week, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Our country's story, written over more than two centuries, is one of
challenges, chances, and progress. As our Nation has advanced on our
journey toward ensuring rights and opportunities are extended fully and
equally to all people, America's teachers--from the front lines of our
civil rights movement to the front lines of our education system--have
helped steer our country's course. They witness the incredible potential
of our youth, and they know firsthand the impact of a caring leader at
the front of the classroom.

As our national narrative has progressed, we have become a more equal
society, cleared paths to opportunity, and affirmed the extraordinary
potential of all our people--regardless of their race, their gender,
their sexual orientation, their religion, or the zip code they were born
into. But there is still work to be done. If our country's story is
going to reflect the diversity we draw strength from, it needs to be
written by people that represent the wide range of backgrounds and
origins that comprise our national mosaic, and as the next generation
rises and prepares to shape that narrative, our teachers will be with
them every step of the way--imparting critical knowledge and opening
their minds to the possibilities tomorrow holds. In working to ensure
all our daughters and sons have the chance to add their voice and
perspective to America's story, our teachers help shape a Nation that
better reflects the values we were founded upon.
When I took office, I did so with a bold vision to foster innovation and
drive change within our education system, and to expand educational
opportunities and outcomes for all America's learners. Central to that
goal is our work to build and strengthen the teaching profession so our
teachers are enabled and equipped to inspire rising generations. I have
worked hard throughout my Presidency to make sure my Administration does
its part to support our educators and our education system, but the
incredible progress our country has seen--from achieving record high
graduation rates to holding more students to high standards that prepare
them for success in college and future careers--is thanks to the
dedicated teachers, families, and school leaders who work tirelessly on
behalf of our young people.
Just as we know a student's circumstances do not dictate his or her
potential, we know that having an effective teacher is the most
important in-school factor for student success. That is why my
Administration has been committed to better recruiting, preparing,
retraining, and rewarding America's teachers. Following the worst
economic crisis our country has seen since the Great Depression, my
Administration supported significant investments in education through
the Recovery Act to keep more than 300,000 educators in the classroom.
We have invested more than $2.7 billion through competitive grants to
better recruit, train, support, and reward talented teachers and
educators, and we have worked to make sure teachers have a strong voice
and a seat at the table in the policymaking process. At the urging of
the Depart

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ment of Education, all fifty States are advancing teacher equity plans
to ensure that districts can support and retain educators in schools
that need them most. In my State of the Union address in 2011, I
announced a national goal to prepare 100,000 public school STEM teachers
by 2021 to help ensure more of our young innovators can seize the
opportunities of tomorrow--and I am proud that we are on track to meet
that goal.
I recently signed the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA),
which ensures students are held to high standards that will better
prepare them for college and careers. And because cookie-cutter
solutions are not always effective considering the diversity of our
communities and of the students in our classrooms, ESSA reflects my
Administration's approach to education reform by empowering States and
local decision makers, who know what their students need best, to shape
their own progress with accountability. ESSA also aligns with the
Testing Action Plan I announced last fall to help reduce the burden of
standardized testing so educators can spend less time testing and more
time teaching. This law will also allow more States and districts to
support teachers and expand access to computer science, a critical skill
our students need in the innovation economy.
Our future is written in schools across our country. It is likely that
the first person who will go to Mars is in a classroom today. Our
students are our future teachers, scientists, politicians, public
servants, and parents--a generation that will steer the course we will
take as a people and make possible things we have not even imagined yet.
We look to the women and men standing in front of classrooms in all
corners of our country--from cities to reservations to rural towns--to
vest America's daughters and sons with the hard skills they will need to
put their dreams within reach and to inspire them to dream even bigger.
On National Teacher Appreciation Day and during National Teacher
Appreciation Week, let us ensure our educators know how much we value
their service in the classroom, how much we appreciate all they do for
our students and families, and how thankful we are for their
contributions to our national progress.
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 May 3, 2016, as
National Teacher Appreciation Day and May 1 through May 7, 2016, as
National Teacher Appreciation Week. I call upon students, parents, and
all Americans to recognize the hard work and dedication of our Nation's
teachers and to observe this day and this week by supporting teachers
through appropriate activities, events, and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of
April, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA