Students, Parents Hold Drive-By Parade To Honor Arlington Teacher

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington County students and their parents held a drive-by parade to honor their third-grade teacher at McKinley Elementary School. Almost a dozen cars drove by the home of Amanda Herr, honking their horns and holding signs outside their car windows, to show their appreciation for Herr as part of Teacher Appreciation Week.

Herr, who has taught third grade at McKinley Elementary since 2016 and previously taught in Fairfax County for several years, held back tears as her students and their parents thanked her from their cars for all of her hard work.

In the age of coronavirus, people are playing it safe by organizing vehicle parades to honor special people in the community, whether it's health care workers or school teachers.

Herr said seeing her students drive by her house made her feel extremely emotional. "I miss them so much," she said.

Since 1984, the National PTA has been holding an annual Teacher Appreciation Week during one week in May. In 2020, the PTA is offering many alternative ways for parents and students to honor their teachers in a safe way.

"It's in these challenging times that we truly recognize and appreciate how our nation’s educators play such a pivotal role in our children’s lives — inspiring a lifelong love of learning and discovery and making a difference in their well-being and long-term success," the National PTA says on its website.

Arlington Public Schools have been conducting online learning for the past six weeks. "We use all kinds of online platforms. It also helps that in Arlington, they have one-to-one devices in third through fifth grades. My kids took their iPads home with them. We have a virtual classroom we communicate with," Herr said.

The PTA at McKinley Elementary works hard to honor teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. In the past, the PTA has held breakfast and lunch buffets for the school's teachers and has given them flowers.

"I always feel appreciated during Teacher Appreciation Week," Herr said.

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Along with a drive-by appreciation, the McKinley Elementary PTA is making a video for the McKinley staff to thank them for their dedication to their jobs and the students.

Herr noted that parents had to take time off from work to make the signs and then drive by her house. "It's not like they have a ton of free time," she said.

As she saw her students riding by in cars, Herr said online learning is going well in Arlington, but it's not the same as teaching her third-graders in person. "It's been tough," she said.

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