*May 2-8, 2010*
This week marks not only Teacher Appreciation Week, but also *National
Charter Schools Week*!
Did you know that you and your family are a part of a groundswell of
change in some very significant ways? We can all be proud to have a role
in a strong national movement to innovate and create public schools
with programs that strive to serve the child's educational needs in more
effective, relevant and meaningful ways. The charter school Presidential
Proclamation, downloaded from
www.WhiteHouse.gov.
People with vision and who are planning for growth and change in our country
are taking note of the importance of innovation in educational objectives.
Charter schools have caught the attention of some of the shakers and movers
in our nation - Bill Gates (yes, that Bill Gates) will be the Keynote
Speaker at the National Charter Schools Conference in Chicago in June: The
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has made innovation in education one of
the top objectives for Foundation funds recipients. Also keynoting at the
national conference, Reed Hastings, Founder, Chair and CEO of Netflix, has
made charter schools a major priority for his philanthropic efforts. Many
governmental offiicials nationwide have been staunch supporters of charter
schools, too. Go to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools'
website at www.publiccharters.org for much more information about the
national charter school movement.
Another exciting development from the national scene to report is that *Clark
Montessori Jr and Sr High School* in Cincinnati, Ohio is one of three
national finalists in a competition to have President Barak Obama deliver
the school's commencement speech this spring. As a part of the President's
Race to the Top initiative with the national goal of having the most college
graduates by 2020, the Commencement Challenge was born. High schools were
invited to apply with a student-created video about their school, and the
White House received over 1,000 applications from outstanding schools across
the country. Clark Montessori is neck and neck with the other two schools
chosen as finalists. View the school's video at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/Commencement and check back tomorrow on the White
House site to find out which school is the winner.
Some additional websites to check out for more insights into Montessori
education: www.montessori-ami.org or www.montessori-namta.org Then there's
http://MontessoriAroundTheWorld.org
which
is also on Facebook, as is the page for Maria Montessori. If you are a
Facebook fan, search it and go there - there's great stuff posted
frequently.
It's an exciting time in education, and a great time to stand up and be
counted! There's a lot to say about Charter Schools, Montessori education,
and of course, Lewis and Clark Montessori Charter School. Talk it up with
your friends, family members, colleagues, and whomever else you encounter
during your day. Planting the seeds of new thinking about education begins
with our own community contacts, and spreads outward rapidly. Be a part of
the flow!
******************************
*The White House*
*Office of the Press Secretary*
*For Immediate Release *
*April 29, 2010*
Presidential Proclamation--National Charter Schools Week
NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS WEEK, 2010
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Our Nation's future depends on the education we provide to our sons and
daughters, and charter schools across America serve as laboratories for
education. Ideas developed and tested by charter schools have unlocked
potential in students of every background and are driving reform throughout
many school districts. During National Charter Schools Week, we recommit to
supporting innovation in teaching and learning at high quality charter
schools and ensuring all our students have a chance to realize the American
Dream.
Principals, teachers, parents, school boards, and communities are working
together to transform our public schools, and countless children stand to
benefit from the replication of effective education models. In the 21st
century, a world class education is our best avenue to prosperity. The
skills and knowledge students gain in school -- reinforced by the love of
learning educators and mentors can foster -- can empower young Americans to
achieve their dreams and lead our country in the global marketplace.
The size and scope of the challenges before us require us to align our
deepest values and commitments to the demands of a new age. My
Administration is committed to helping schools prepare the next generation
of leaders by reaching beyond standardized methods and promoting creative
teaching strategies and learning techniques. By giving all our children
access to a complete and competitive education, we will pass on the American
spirit of limitless possibility to the next generation.
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 2 through May 8, 2010, as National
Charter Schools Week. I commend our Nation's charter schools, teachers, and
administrators, and I call on States and communities to support charter
schools and the students they serve.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of
April, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
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