Gregoire proclaims January as “School Board Recognition Month”
Published 3:00 pm Tuesday, January 8, 2013
January has been proclaimed as School Board Recognition Month by Gov. Christine Gregoire. It year marks the 18th year of the annual observance initiated by the National School Boards Association in 1995.
The Washington State School Directors’ Association, along with fellow educators and the community, take time in January to celebrate the 1,477 elected school board members from 295 school districts in Washington.
“School board members have the tremendous responsibility of preparing the children of our communities for a bright future,” said Debbie Long, WSSDA president. “It’s a big job and the recognition is well deserved.”
In public schools across the state, school board members lead districts serving more than one million students. The districts have a combined annual budget of nearly $10 billion and employ 160,000 people.
School board members play a crucial role in developing policies and making tough decisions on complex educational and social issues. These issues affect the entire community. They are also directly accountable to the citizens in their districts, serving as a vital link between members of the community and their schools.
“Too often school board members are not recognized for their dedication and hard work,” said WSSDA Executive Director Jonelle Adams. “We need to honor the work of these elected officials not only during the month of January, but also throughout the year.”
