Educators For A Day Get Inside View Of Manchester School

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester students had a few guests in class last week as the Manchester Township Education Association, through its Pride campaign, invited prominent local community leaders to serve as Educators for a Day at Manchester Township High School on Thursday.

The event was part of the National Education Association’s American Education Week celebration taking place November 14-18 and is one of many Pride events carried out by the MTEA each year, according to a news release. The guest educators spent an entire day at the high school and experienced school activities firsthand under the guidance of a cooperating school employee.

"We were proud to participate in National Educator for a Day during American Education Week,” Dan Staples, president of the Manchester Township Education Association, said. "The event presented an excellent opportunity for community leaders to see what today's students and schools are all about. Education has changed greatly since most adults went to school, and it is important for the community to understand those changes in order to plan effectively for meeting the future needs of our students."

Board of Education Member Chris Nolan, PTA President Sarita Dodd, and John Feehan, president of local philanthropic organization Manchester Residents 365 were placed with experienced educators based on their subject preference. They all found the day to be a worthwhile and eye opening experience. To commemorate the day Manchester Mayor Ken Palmer issued a Proclamation declaring Nov. 17, 2016 as Educator For A Day in Manchester Township.

The Manchester Township Education Association's activities were in partnership with NEA, the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.

Pride is an ongoing campaign run by the MTEA. It was created to share the educational successes of the Manchester Township School District with all Manchester residents, and build strong community support for involvement in our great public schools. Visit the Manchester Township Education Association Facebook page to learn more about the PRIDE program and the goals of the association.

John Feehan participates in the Educator for a Day program at Manchester Township High School, in art class. The event is sponsored by the Manchester Township Education Association. Photo via Manchester Township School District Facebook page