Dear Editor,

Have you heard the news today?Pennsylvania's public schools are among the best in the nation. This week is American Education Week, a great time to take special pride in our public schools. But we don't need a report or standardized test scores to tell us that.We're teachers. We see it every day.Pennsylvania's public schools are among the most important institutions in our state, educating students to lead productive lives in their jobs, their communities and their families.To make sure that our public schools remain great, we need to invest in them.Over the past several years, state government's investments in our schools have fallen short. Nearly $1 billion in school funding cuts have forced school districts to cut teachers, classes and vital programs.Our students deserve better, and we can do better.Public education is the fundamental building block of our state. This is why we became teachers in the first place.During American Education Week, let's recognize how important the public schools are - and take stock of the investments we need to make to ensure that every single student knows the power of a great education.Sincerely,Michelle Muffley, Palmerton Area School District library media specialistMatt Fisher,Lehighton Area School District information technology andbusiness teacher