To honor and celebrate educators, we are proud to share a special letter of appreciation to teachers from Scholastic CEO, Peter Warwick.
Dear Teacher,
Thank you. Every school day you show up for your students, help them learn about the world and learn about themselves, and on some of the darkest days you protect them. There aren’t enough words of appreciation for you, but today we can take the time to emphatically thank you for all that you do. And we want to show you that children recognize and appreciate you too. School-aged kids and their parents told us that you are central to their reading journeys through the latest Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, a national survey sharing the views of both kids and parents on reading books for fun and the influences that impact kids’ reading behaviors and attitudes toward reading.
Your encouragement matters to kids
The majority of school-aged children told us that their teachers are top encouragers of reading books for fun. And if a child has a teacher encouraging them to read books for fun, they are less likely than others to have trouble finding a book they like.
Your curation of books and accessibility matter to kids
Forty-one percent of children (41%) told us they get most of their books from school. And a child that has a classroom library is more likely to read frequently, enjoy reading and think it is important.
Parents rely on you too
Aside from direct input from their child, teachers are the top resource for parents on finding books for their child to read for fun. What’s more, we asked parents about their child’s education during the pandemic.
You know all too well, and I would venture to guess that you may be still recovering from, the vast complications added to your plate during this global crisis, requiring you to constantly adapt in support of children and their families—all while trying to care for yourself and your loved ones. Nearly nine in 10 parents agree their child’s teachers did their absolute best during the pandemic. And I can add with certainty, that ALL Scholastic employees agree, and continue to believe, you come to each challenge with a sense of passion, creativity, and resilience that only someone in the classroom can truly understand.
It is a privilege that as part of my job I get to hear directly from you all. Together we celebrate classroom successes and consider how Scholastic can help you with each new step we take in our work. Please continue to tell us how we can help you, and we will always do our best for you.
Cheers to you all this Teacher Appreciation Week,
Peter Warwick
CEO
