Education Week at N.C. State, which seeks to start conversations about education among students as well as to show support for the education system and those working to improve, began Monday.
To celebrate, faculty members and staff from the College of Education ate brown-bag lunches while discussing a common reading book, and the Education Council wrote thank-you letters to future student teachers..
“It’s nice to have an opportunity to have focused conversations and celebrations that support and elevate education as a focus,” said Jayne Fleener, dean of the College of Education. “It’s important to remind people that education is a fundamental social structure for our society.”
American Education Week, which was first observed in 1921, began as a call from the National Education Association for an increased spotlight on education. The goal of the annual event is to inform communities nationwide about the needs and accomplishments of public schools in their areas. American Education Week is always celebrated the week before Thanksgiving.
“The goal is to get the word out about things that public schools are doing really well and things that we need to change and asking people for their support in that,” said Jordan Miller, a senior in mathematics education.
At N.C. State, students within the College of Education are using this week as an opportunity to show the University what goes on in Poe Hall and to help others understand just how much people are affected by education.
According to Miller, Education Week at N.C. State is necessary partially due to the fact that so many people are turning away from teaching due to the recent spotlight on declining teachers’ salaries. Miller said that understanding the current state of the education system is especially important to anyone considering having kids in the future.
“I think that education gets chipped a little bit, for lack of a better word,” Miller said. “For me it’s really important to make people aware that, even if you don’t want to be a teacher, the education system is going to affect you eventually.”
Miller works with several education organizations on campus and said she is excited about the variety of events this year in honor of the national celebration. Miller said she is looking forward to handing out apple slices with caramel on the Brickyard while teaching students about the College of Education and American Education week in general. This will happen on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“Giving things out and being in public isn’t something that the College of Education usually does,” Miller said. “We don’t usually expand, so I am really excited to see how that goes and see how receptive other students are to what we are trying to do.”
Besides the apples on the Brickyard, plenty of events will be taking place this week at N.C. State as students in every college come together to discuss education.
“One of the anchor activities is The Friday Medal award,” Fleener said. “It is a national award…given to individuals who have made a significant impact in education through their service, research or teaching.”
The award, named in honor of Bill and Ida Friday, will be presented on Wednesday to Robert Tinker, president emeritus and founder of the Concord Consortium, at 4 p.m. at the Wachovia Innovation Hall.
Other events taking place this week include a Taco Lunch fundraiser sponsored by the Association of African-American Student Educators on Tuesday, a panel titled “Senior Series: Hear it First-Hand” comprised of educators and administrators who will be discussing the job market on Wednesday and a “Fill the Jug” coin drive sponsored by the Elementary Education Organization on Thursday and Friday.
“I always look forward to going to events with students and being with the students and interacting with them,” Fleener said.