WHEREAS, 70 years ago, our nation first set aside a day of recognition of teachers, following a public campaign led by former First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, and,

WHEREAS, in 1980, the first full week in May officially became a national time of celebration of the contributions teachers make to the lives of students, families and communities across our nation and the world, and,

WHEREAS, this year the first full school week in May is from May 8-12, and,

WHEREAS, as President Biden noted in a proclamation, “I will never forget the educators who encouraged me as a child… who instilled confidence in us, who encouraged us to dream boldly and who helped us believe we could achieve anything,” and,

WHEREAS, teaching has been correctly described as the one profession that makes all other professions possible, and,

WHEREAS, educators across our nation have encouraged, inspired and equipped countless millions of young people to become not only Presidents of the United States but to become the healers, inventors, producers, builders, employers, protectors, artists, public servants and the moms and dads that ever propel families and communities forward, and,

WHEREAS, here in Albemarle County, it can be said that not all superheroes wear capes but they do have teaching degrees, and,

WHEREAS, these educators selflessly devote their support and service to their students, unbound by the restrictions of the hours of a day, the days of the week or the weeks of a year, and,

WHEREAS, the imagination, enthusiasm, brilliance, compassion and sense of purpose that our educators bring into the classroom and into the homes of students and families are similarly without limit, and,

WHEREAS, the fulfillment of our vision, that all learners are engaged in authentic, challenging and relevant learning experiences and that all become lifelong contributors and leaders in our dynamic and diverse society, is achieved through the eagerness for, the engagement in and the joy for learning created in classrooms across our county, and,

WHEREAS, every day in every classroom, our educators bring to life the words of our nation’s first Teacher in Space, Christa McAuliffe, who spoke for all in her profession when she assured us that, “I touch the future. I teach,”

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Albemarle County School Board hereby urges students, families, businesses, organizations and all other community members to join the Board in expressing deep gratitude for and recognition of our teachers on the occasion of National Teacher Appreciation Week.