It’s American education week

American Education Week, celebrated Nov. 15 through 21, is an awareness campaign founded by the National Education Association.

This fall, nearly 49.8 million students were expected to attend public elementary and secondary schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. It is estimated that the public school system employs nearly 3.3 million teachers. Here are ways parents can be more active in the Simi Valley public schools system:

•Join the Parent Teacher Association.

•Understand that communication is key. It is important for parents to contact teachers regarding anything that seems different with their child’s education, such as complaints about in incomplete homework or worsening grades. This builds a parent-teacher relationship.

•Attend school board meetings. Parents will know what’s going on in the classroom and be aware of budget cuts or new equipment at the school.

•Show support for teachers. Thank you notes, small gifts or a complimentary phone call to a teacher are appreciated.

This article is provided by the Huntington Learning Center of Simi Valley.