Joint celebration: week of the classroom teacher/world teacher's day.

An important change is coming this year concerning ACEI's commemoration of Week of the Classroom Teacher (WOCT). Since 1995, ACEI has sponsored a celebration of the WOCT during the first full week of May each year to honor the dedication and professionalism of classroom teachers. This event encourages students, parents, and the general public to recognize the difference teachers make in the lives of children, their schools, and the community.

Each year, ACEI also joins over 100 countries in recognizing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Teachers" Day celebration on October 5. This event commemorates the signing of the Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers on 5 October 1966.

Beginning in 2005, ACEI will move its celebration of the Week of the Classroom Teacher to the first week in October to coincide with World Teachers' Day and to participate simultaneously in both events. As an international organization, ACEI encourages all countries and regions to celebrate the WOCT at a time that best accommodates their school schedules and local customs, and this policy continues. To make the transition to the October 2005 week, ACEI Branches may choose to have activities both on May 1-7, and again on October 2-8. This would provide one week of celebration in each school year. Or, Branches may choose to forego the May 2005 activities and wait until October. This year, printed materials available from ACEI will reflect the combined UN/ACEI October commemoration dates of October 2-8, 2005. A planning kit is downloadable at www.acei.org.

An important component of the WOCT celebration in the United States is the gathering of proclamations issued by governors in various states, which are displayed at our Annual Conference. Most states now require that a resident of their state request the proclamation, and they will not issue one to an outside organization. Therefore, we will be asking some ACEI members for permission to use their names as the requesting party in their states. Headquarters will generate the proclamation request letter and handle all correspondence; no additional work is necessary on the member's part. If you receive a call with a request to use your name, we hope you will be amenable to assisting us in this regard. Members in countries outside the United States are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate government officials in their localities to request proclamations.

We look forward to this exciting change in our celebration of both the WOCT and World Teachers' Day and invite you to join us in expanding the scope and influence of this important international event.

--Carol Petranek, former Public Relations Manager