September 30 is National Teach Spanish Day. Launched by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP), the goals of the day are:1. To promote the teaching of Spanish as a profession
2. To call attention to the current Spanish teacher shortage (K-12) in the US
3. To emphasize the importance of Spanish as a world language
To mark the occasion, a brief ceremony will be held at Vestavia Hills High School (VHHS) and will be hosted by the VHHS World Languages Department with Department Chair Lisa Garrison presiding.
Visiting dignitaries will include AATSP President Martha L. Vásquez, District Coordinator for World Languages, San Antonio Independent School District, San Antonio, TX, and AATSP Executive Director Sheri Spaine Long, PhD, Birmingham, AL.
The program will highlight student and faculty teaching and engagement with Spanish language and culture(s) in the US and abroad. The event is held in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15).
The VHHS language department was selected for the inaugural event because it is the first high school in Alabama to award the Seal of Biliteracy and has recognized 166 VHHS students in 8 different languages including Spanish with this distinction (see https://www.vestavia.k12.al.us/Page/2034).
The national headquarters of the AATSP is located in downtown Birmingham, AL. The AATSP is a 10,000-member professional association of teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (K-16+) that has been serving teachers over 100 years.
To take part, use hastags #NationalTeachSpanishDay #NTSD19 in social media.
