Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day

Today we celebrate our teachers. This is National Teacher Appreciation Day, also known as National Teacher Day. The National Education Association describes National Teacher Day “as a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives.” Political and educational leaders began discussions for a day to honor teachers in 1944. In 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim National Teachers’ Day. Congress declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day. The National Education Association continued to observe Teacher Day on the first Tuesday in March until 1985 when the National PTA established Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of May. The National Education Association Representative Assembly then voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day.