DAPHNE, Ala.—With the tagline “Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility,” organizations nationwide will be honoring American Education Week, which takes place Nov. 14-20. The awareness campaign was founded by the National Education Association and, according to Beth Dotson of Huntington Learning Center in Daphne, it is a campaign that should be recognized by the local community.

“American Education Week allows us all to understand the many benefits public schools provide our communities, and honor educators who ensure that our children receive quality education,” Dotson said. According to the NEA Web site, the campaign calls upon all Americans “to provide students with quality public schools so that they can grow, prosper, and achieve in the 21st century.”

This fall, nearly 49.8 million students were expected to attend public elementary and secondary schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In addition, it was estimated that the public school system will employ nearly 3.3 million teachers.

Dotson has provided the following advice for local parents on how they can be more active in the Daphne public school system:

*Join the Parent Teacher Association. Participation in organizations like the PTA allows parents to offer hands-on support for schools and teachers.

*Understand that communication is key. It is important that parents contact teachers regarding anything that seems out-of-the-ordinary with their child’s education, such as complaints about incomplete homework or worsening grades that appear on their child’s report card. This keeps communication open and builds a parent-teacher relationship, which is vital as children continue their school education.

*Attend school board meetings. Not only will parents know what’s going on in their child’s classrooms by attending school board meetings, they will also be aware of budgets cuts for classes or any new equipment available at the school.

*Show support for teachers. Whether it is a thank-you note for helping your child achieve better grades, a small thank-you gift for the holidays, or a simple phone call to the teacher to let him or her know that you really appreciate their hard work, it is important to show your support for your child's teachers.