It’s National Public Schools Week – a great time to celebrate the critically important role the City School District of Albany fulfills in our city’s future.

More specifically, this national recognition provides us an opportunity to highlight the nearly 1,800 employees of our school district. No matter their role, our administrators, faculty and support staff comprise an incredibly caring group of professionals who are dedicated to meeting the needs of each of our nearly 9,000 students.

A foundational principle of the American democracy, free public education took hold first in the Northeast and then across the growing nation during the 19th century.

Federal legislation and judicial decisions in the second half of the 20th century – such as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Act – began to assure equal access to public schools for students of color, girls and students with disabilities, among other groups that had faced limited opportunities or simply been denied access.

Today, our school district celebrates diversity as our greatest strength and asset. Raising achievement and success for every student remains an elemental part of our district’s vision and mission, and throughout our organization we are proud to devote ourselves to this work.

You can check out the Learning First Alliance website for more information about the important role that public schools fulfill in communities across America.

Please join us in celebrating those individuals in your school who are there for our city’s children this week and every week.