The concept of Teacher Appreciation Week originated with first lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s efforts in 1953 to persuade Congress to establish a national day for teachers. This year, we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week from May 4 to 8. National Teacher Day was May 5.
As we celebrate teachers this year, honoring their positive impact on generations of students, families, and communities, I’d like to share what I have seen in so many Iowa classrooms throughout the year.
My name is Joshua Brown, and I am the president of the Iowa State Education Association. We are the union that represents the more than 50,000 public education professionals who work and live in every community in our state.
Much of my focus this year has been on visiting schools and meeting with the innovators who are creating the next generation of scientists, doctors, nurses, lawyers, mechanics, home builders, and artists — to name a few of the professions that begin with educators in classrooms across Iowa.
What I saw was amazing.
Throughout my travels, I have witnessed programs that prove our public schools are leading the way:
Further, Highland, West Liberty, Sioux City, Iowa City, Des Moines and other districts all have programs to help students who want to become educators explore the profession, creating a stronger pipeline for our future educators.
The idea that our public schools do not offer enough “choices” for students is a non-starter, as public schools across the state are meeting the demands of an ever-changing landscape of educational and real-life innovations. In our public schools, we accept and meet the needs of all students while being held to the highest standards of accountability and transparency.
Too many politicians have a habit of demonizing and politicizing the tremendous work our teachers do in our public schools. I invite any elected official to take a trip with me to meet the education professionals who are leading our next generation to excellence, teaching them to examine concepts and grow ideas, keeping them fed and healthy, and working one-on-one with those who need it most.
I have seen this excellence in the more than 30,000 miles I have traveled and the dozens of schools I have visited throughout our state. This week, especially, on behalf of the Iowa State Education Association, I extend our gratitude and support to every public education professional in Iowa.
Joshua Brown is a middle school teacher from Des Moines Public Schools. He was elected president of the Iowa State Education Association in April of 2024.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Honoring Iowa’s educators for public school excellence | Opinion
Reporting by Joshua Brown, Guest columnist / Des Moines Register
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