Take Your Child to School Week
Effective Date: Monday, August 20th, 2012
WHEREAS, the children of Alaska represent the future of Alaska and are our best treasure, asset, and resource; and
WHEREAS, the end of August marks the beginning of a new school year. In 2011, 128,926 Alaskan students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade attended 507 public, charter, and correspondence schools across the state; and
WHEREAS, the State of Alaska’s educational policy is established by AS.14.03.015, which states that “the purpose of education is to help ensure that all students will succeed in their education and work, shape worthwhile and satisfying lives for themselves, exemplify the best values of society, and be effective in improving the character and quality of the world about them;” and
WHEREAS, numerous people are involved in this mission. Parents, teachers, school administrators, community board members, school counselors, and peer mentors invest in children’s lives in countless ways; and
WHEREAS, parents bear the greatest responsibility for impacting a child’s life by instilling good character and habits, and research consistently shows that a parent’s active involvement in a child’s life promotes higher academic performance, good social behavior, positive attitudes towards school and life in general, and greater overall educational success; and
WHEREAS, parental engagement also serves a community through example and accountability, inspiring other parents to take an active role in their children’s educations, and preserving the trust between schools, communities, and families.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sean Parnell, Governor of the State of Alaska, do hereby proclaim August 20 – 27, 2012 as:
Take Your Child to School Week
in Alaska, and encourage Alaskan parents, guardians, and relatives of schoolchildren to foster the growth and success of the children in their lives by listening, sharing encouragement, and taking them to school.
Dated: August 14, 2012
