Every day in our county thousands of teachers walk into classrooms, write their objectives on the board and complete the many other tasks to prepare for students. Teachers are making a difference in the lives of our students. The week of May 6-12 is designated as Teacher Appreciation Week and parents are preparing luncheons, special treats and surprises to show their appreciation for the outstanding work that is being done.

The members of the Board of Education would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the more than 5,600 educators of AACPS. We recognize that you have a choice of where you work and we are glad that you have chosen to be part of our system.

Teaching is so much more that just a job. As with other professions that are service oriented teachers give more than can be seen by the general public. The public does not see that teacher who makes sure that the homeless student has clean clothes, they do not see the teacher who listens to the excited kindergarten student tell about the new puppy at home, and they do not see the teacher who spends lunch periods with students who need mentoring. These are only a few examples of the extra effort made by our teachers each and every day.

Teaching is so much more than a person standing in the front of the classroom talking to students. The way we communicate and interact with each other has changed and so the way they teach has had to change as well. Teachers are competing against the high-tech flashy world they must be able to interact and keep the attention of students in the lessons that they are teaching. We also know that not all students learn the same way, so again the classroom teacher must be able to teach a lesson in a variety of different ways in order to reach all of the students in their class.

In addition to the classroom teacher we would be remiss if we did not also express our gratitude and appreciation for those teachers who now serve outside of the classroom in a variety of capacities but whose focus remains on the over 76,000 students and families that we serve every day.

From the members of the Board of Education to our teachers........Thank You very much for all that you do each and every day.