Tuesday May 5, 2020 is Teacher and School Staff Appreciation Day, and NC Public Schools are asking people to show their appreciation statewide in a special way. Among many other options, families can display lights in windows, on porches or in their yards to acknowledge their appreciation for teachers and staff. Beginning at 8:20 pm on Tuesday, families are asked to shine the light for 20 minutes.
“Everyone deserves gratitude right now since parents and educators are showing resilience for our students in the face of these unprecedented challenges,” said State Superintendent Mark Johnson. “On this special day, there are many ways you can help us show how much we appreciate everyone’s commitment to be shining lights for our students. It could be a car parade in your neighborhood, a gift card, sending a note of gratitude, or by displaying a light in a window or outside at 8:20 p.m., which 20:20 on the 24-hour clock.”
In addition to shining the lights, NC Public Schools are encouraging people to share a picture of their lights on social media and use the hashtags #NCed and #NCLighthouseLeaders.
“I hope all North Carolinians join us and share their creativity to celebrate the shining lights in North Carolina,” said Superintendent Johnson.
North Carolina public schools employ nearly 200,000 full-time teachers and staff across the state.