Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1544915
SPRING 2026 MAY: National Speech, Language and Hearing Month The month raises awareness about communication and the challenges faced by individuals with speech, language and hearing disorders. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders states that approximately 1 in 14 U.S. children ages 3–17 has had a disorder related to voice, speech or language in the past year; almost 60% of them received intervention services in the same period. The month is also a time to celebrate the work of school speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Educators can find resources at nidcd.nih.gov/health/ educators-and-students and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (asha.org). Photo: Farrinni /Unsplash MAY 5: National Teacher Day National Teacher Day is on Tuesday of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4–8). California, however, always recognizes California Day of the Teacher on the second Wednesday of May, which is May 13 in 2026. The special day rose out of legislation co-sponsored by our union and the Associ- ation of Mexican American Educators in 1982. See the fold-out poster celebrating California educators and ESPs, and school nurses across the country, at the back of this issue. MAY 25: Memorial Day The red poppy is a symbol of sac- rifice worn on Memorial Day to honor fallen U.S. service members. Inspired by the WWI poem "In Flan- ders Fields," the poppy symbolizes the blood-red flowers that grew on battlefields, signifying remembrance and hope. Find lesson ideas for grades 3–12 at nea.org (search "Memorial Day lessons"). JUNE 2: Alice Piper Day In 1923, Alice Piper, a 15-year-old Pauite girl from Big Pine, Inyo County, was denied entry to Big Pine High School along with six other Native students due to their race. (State law then prohibited Native Americans from attending a public school if a government-run "Indian" school was within three miles.) Alice and the others sued the district for the right to attend. On June 2, 1924, the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled in their favor in Piper v. Big Pine — opening the door for Native Americans to attend California public schools. (See related story on page 55.) Alice Piper Speaks Up (Heyday) is a new book that details Alice's story through verse and illustra- tions; sidebars include timelines, primary sources, historical context and more. Indigenous authors Sage Andrew Romero and Loralee Sepsey come from the same tribal community (Big Pine Paiute) as Alice. 8 cta.org In the Know