Res. No. 1619

Resolution declaring September 28^th as “Educator’s Day” in the City of New York.

By Council Members Liu, Comrie, Fidler, Gonzalez, James, Mealy, Nelson, Palma, Weprin and White Jr.

                     Whereas, According to the Department of Education, there are over 112,000 educators, including 80,000 teachers, employed in the New York City public school system; and

                     Whereas, New York City educators are responsible for the education of approximately 1.1 million public school children who have diverse backgrounds and needs; and

                     Whereas, Many educators dedicate countless hours, as well as their own personal resources, to enhance the learning experience of students and ensure their success; and

                     Whereas, The work of educators should be recognized and celebrated throughout the City of New York on September 28th, the birthday of Confucius, the paragon of all educators; and

                     Whereas, Confucius symbolizes the philosophy of “educate all without discrimination, and teach according to the abilities of one’s students;” and

                     Whereas, The teachings of Confucius focused on social relations and ethics, in addition to philosophy, history, politics, economics, culture and music; and

                     Whereas, During his lifetime, Confucius had more than three thousand disciples and, as Confucius required only that pupils possess a desire to learn, a student was never refused because of their class or character; and

                     Whereas, It is important to raise awareness of the important role that educators play in making New York City public schools the kind of valued institutions that provide every child with a quality education that enables them to succeed in life; and

                     Whereas, According to the Department of Education’s Learning Environment Survey, more than ninety-two percent of parents were satisfied or very satisfied with the education that their child received in the 2007-2008 school year; and

                     Whereas, In addition to teaching core curriculum, New York City educators also work to open the minds of their students to new ideas, keep American democracy alive by laying the foundation for good citizenship, and fill many roles in their students’ lives, including listener, explorer, role model and mentor; and

                     Whereas, All of these actions enhance the educational experience of New York City students and help to foster in children a desire to learn; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York declares September 28^th as “Educator’s Day” in the City of New York.

JC/JA

LS#5693

9/19/2008, 5:30pm