00                    HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 24                                                                   
01 Designating February 15 - 20, 2016, as Celebrating Alaska Public Schools Week.                                          
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS the founding fathers of the United States valued public education and                                   
04 considered public education to be essential to the survival of the democratic form of                                   
05 government; and                                                                                                         
06       WHEREAS high quality public education is one of the cornerstones of the state                                   
07 constitution and is a fundamental civil right; and                                                                      
08       WHEREAS public schools serve every child in a community, regardless of race,                                    
09 religion, or ability, and provide the opportunity for students to learn from and understand                             
10 people with diverse backgrounds and cultures; and                                                                       
11       WHEREAS 90 percent of children attending school in the United States attend public                              
12 schools, and it is essential to focus national attention on making public education the best it                         
13 can be; and                                                                                                             
14       WHEREAS Celebrating Alaska Public Schools Week will highlight the contribution                                  
15 that public schools, teachers, students, and parents make to the community; and                                         
16       WHEREAS Public Schools Week is celebrated across the country by millions of                                     
01 students, parents, educators, schools, and organizations to raise awareness of the importance                           
02 of public education and its achievements and to protect a person's basic right to a free and                            
03 public education;                                                                                                       
04       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates February 15 - 20,                                   
05 2016, as Celebrating Alaska Public Schools Week.