American Education Week is an annual opportunity to recognize the educators and school staff who keep our children safe and healthy, as well as help them achieve. We honor the many people doing a diversity of jobs to make education successful. We have a chance to involve students as well as staff in saying “THANK YOU!” for making our public schools great for every child. Each November, we celebrate Substitute Educators Day.

Substitute Educators Day: History and purpose

Substitute Educators Day is a result of NEA Representative Assembly's New Business Item (NBI) 2003-41. The purpose of this NBI is to increase appreciation of school substitute employees. These professional educators provide a critical link in the education of public school children by serving as a bridge to provide continued quality education to children in the temporary absence of regular classroom educators.
    Substitute Educators Day seeks to encourage increased respect for substitute education employees; to advocate for all school substitutes to receive wage and health benefits for those who work most to all of a full school year; to receive genuine, continuous professional development in the art of substitute teaching; and to provide a reminder for school staff on effective practices to prepare for, welcome, and support substitute educators.
Substitute Educators Day is observed on Friday during American Education Week. 2005's date to celebrate substitute educators is Nov. 18th.

The week's cosponsors include the . . .
• US Department of Education NEA National PTA American Legion
• American Association of School Administrators National School Boards Association American Federation of Teachers American School Counselors Association Council of Chief State School Officers National School Public Relations Association National Association of State Boards of Education National Association of Elementary School Principals National Association of Secondary School Principals
The theme and material presented here reflect NEA's mission as an advocate for the nation's public schools, school employees, and the communities they serve.

New Business Item 2003-41, Motion made by Rick Harlan, speaking on behalf of the Washington Delegation and NEA Substitute Teachers Caucus

The NEA will promote nationally and help encourage states and locals to recognize a Substitute Educators Day, to become established in November, to increase appreciation of school substitutes. An article in NEA Today will include the need:

For increased respect for substitute education employees;

For all school substitutes to receive a living wage, as well as health benefits for those substitutes who work most to all of a full school year;

For genuine, continuous professional development in the art of substitute teaching;

For providing a reminder for school staff on effective practices to prepare for, welcome, and support substitute educators.