National Support Public Education Day
Save Our Schools Million Teacher March, an organization created by Chris Janotta, a Chicago-area language arts teacher, declared July 30, 2010, to be the first National Support Public Education Day, a day that has the goal of getting people to talk about education. On the first observance, supporters of the organization held protests that addressed frustrations over teacher pay, standardized testing, and controversial curriculums. Protests were held in Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Also on the day, shoelaces representing a march to Washington were sent on behalf of teachers as part of a "Shoelaces for Teachers campaign." National Support Public Education Day has continued in a less formal way in more recent years.
How to Observe National Support Public Education Day
Gather with others in marches and rallies in order to open dialogue about education issues such as teacher pay, standardized testing, and curriculum. You could celebrate by supporting public education in other ways, such as by attending school board meetings, running for a school board position, mentoring a student, donating supplies to a school, or joining a PTO or PTA.