El Día de los Niños

On April 30, in conjunction with El Día de los Niños (Children’s Day), teachers across the country will organize classroom activities that reflect cultural diversity through storytelling, and highlight writing and language skills. Libraries, museums, parents’ groups and other community organizations will sponsor similar events that will also feature wood carving, pottery-making and poster design.

Though many of us will not be able to attend these events, the National Education Association's Minority Community Outreach in partnership with the National Latino Children’s Institute will post online photos of activities celebrating El Día de los Niños.

In case you're wondering about the Spanish name, it was inspired by Mexico's Día del Niño (Day of the Child), which began there in 1925 after the first World Conference for the Well-being of Children. In 1996, Texas native Pat Mora, a poet and author of children’s books, began working with Latino faculty at the University of Arizona to develop a similar celebration in the U.S.

Mora and others wanted to promote literacy and multi-cultural learning. The annual event is also referred to as El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) and is celebrated throughout Latin America and other parts of the world.

Since 1998, the U.S. Senate has passed resolutions marking April 30 as El Día de los Niños.

Take Our Kids Out of School Day?

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is a day better spent in the classroom. So say many NEA member-educators. I’ve heard from some of them. “Though the concept is positive,” concedes Carolyn Melius of Indian Head, MD, she, like other members are concerned about the counterproductive effect on many students who can ill afford to miss a day of school. “Why couldn't this be held during school breaks?” Melius asks.

The event’s organizers see the day as an opportunity for parents, businesses, and the community to support educators in the difficult work of teaching kids. Carolyn McKecuen, president of the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation, told me that ideally, students are taught lessons about the workplace on Wednesday, experience the workplace on Thursday, and come back to class on Friday to share the experience with their classmates. “If this was done in the summer, you’d be teaching one child, not bringing that knowledge back to the classroom,” said McKecuen, herself a former teacher.

Research the foundation commissioned six years ago suggests that what was then Take Our Daughters to Work Day “increased girls' interest in education, influenced their decision to go to college or professional school, and broadened girls' thinking about their goals and aspirations with reference to work opportunities.”

But do girls and boys have to miss a day of classes to reap these benefits? I must say—and not just because I work for them—that our members have a point. Why not have kids go to work with their parents in the summer when it won’t disrupt school? While we by no means support all the high- stakes testing done as a result of the No Child Left Behind law, testing remains a reality. Kids have their own work to do. And at this time of year, a lost day of class work can impact students’ preparedness and confidence.

I’ve no doubt educators appreciate the efforts to support their work. Can we find ways to do it that don’t shorten learning time in class?

Calling all NEA Republicans: Want to Go to Minneapolis This Summer?

Florida teacher Sandra Ross (at left in picture) left NEA's Republican Leaders Conference last summer energized and ready to make a difference for public education. After the conference, she attended debates, did a television interview, and chatted with GOP candidates in local, state, and national elections, telling them "there are many Republican educators out there for their votes and that they needed to remember that when forming their educational stances."

Now NEA members around the country have the opportunity to follow in Ross's footsteps, by attending the second Republican Leaders Conference, Aug. 27-30 at the Millennium Hotel in Minneapolis. That's immediately before the Republican National Convention. Four participants from each state can attend at NEA expense, which includes meals, hotels, and the lowest airfare determined by the Association's travel agency.

This year’s conference will feature workshops and panels of NEA members, activists, and political consultants involved in the Republican Party at all levels. (They're not hard to find. An estimated 1 million of NEA's 3.2 million members are Republicans, which can translate to significant influence on Republican candidates when it comes to education policy and funding that bolsters public education.) Topics will include online activism, grassroots organizing, volunteer strategy, press relations, communications, and messaging. After the conference, participants will be asked to help recruit fellow NEA Republicans, and encourage them to become active in the party and take leadership roles such as joining committees and running for office. 

Also invited: elected and party officials in town for the Republican National Convention, which starts Sept. 1. If they're going to be there, shouldn't you? If you're interested, call your state affiliate office. All participants must be approved by the president of a state affiliate.