This Teacher Appreciation Week, let’s show our gratitude to the people who educate our children and lay the foundation for a strong society.

Twenty-nine states still spend less on education than they did before the Great Recession. The teacher walkouts across the country to protest inadequate teaching and learning conditions and low pay should serve as a clarion call for making the investments our kids need. It doesn’t surprise us that teachers step in when elected officials fail to act.

Teachers care deeply about finding ways to nurture joyful learning in all students. They show up for our students, digging deep into their own pockets to meet their students’ needs. They fight for the conditions that make our public schools safe and welcoming places where students are engaged, teachers want to teach and parents are happy to send their children. They help mold our next generation and our future.

Teachers matter to our students, our families and our communities. So today, on Teacher Appreciation Day, we say thank you. #TeacherAppreciationWeek #PublicSchoolProud