The link shows AEW is an event created by a teacher's union. Therefore this event would be recognized in public schools where that teacher's union may be of strong presence. This would exclude many private, independent, and parochial schools.
The NEA website states that "American Education Week (AEW)" was founded in 1921, "with the U.S. Department of Education joining in 1922".
However the U.S. Department of Education did not exist in 1922. The
U.S. Department of Education website states that "ED was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies." No doubt a predecessor agency was involved with AEW.
The NEA website further states that AEW was formed "for the purpose of informing the public of the accomplishments and needs of the public schools and to secure the cooperation and support of the public in meeting those needs". Sounds like propaganda for a tax hike?
The website of the National Center for Education Statistics (
NCES) shows the national average expenditure of approximately $12,000 per student, with more than half of that going to teacher salaries & benefits.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) shows average salaries for 2012:
Kindergarten and Elementary ($53,090),
Middle($53,430),
High School($55,050) teachers.
These figures exceed the 2012 median salary of $51,371 as reported by the
U.S. Census Bureau. Unlike other professions, teachers have summers off, and are generally reimbursed for ongoing professional development.
Unfortunately, American Education Week does not seem to be about raising awareness of the educational needs of the gifted.
