Sponsors (20)
The resolution promotes and recognizes speech and debate education—potentially increasing awareness, participation, and recognition for educators—while remaining symbolic without funding and raising concerns about favoring a single nonprofit.
Students: Gain opportunities to practice communication, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration through speech and debate activities, which can improve academic and extracurricular skills.
Students and schools: The national observance can raise public awareness and encourage schools and districts to integrate speech and debate across grade levels and disciplines, potentially expanding access and participation.
Teachers and coaches: Receive public recognition for time and effort running speech and debate programs, which may help sustain programs and acknowledge educator contributions.
Students, teachers, and schools: The designation is largely symbolic and does not provide funding or programmatic support, so it may not meaningfully expand resources or access for programs.
Nonprofits: Highlighting a single nonprofit (National Speech & Debate Association) could be perceived as favoring one organization over others that support similar activities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Designates a National Speech and Debate Education Day and recognizes speech and debate education and the roles of teachers, coaches, and the National Speech & Debate Association.
Establishes and encourages the observance of a National Speech and Debate Education Day and records findings about the educational value of speech and debate instruction. The resolution highlights that speech and debate teach communication (with and without technology), public speaking, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and civic skills, and it recognizes the roles of teachers, coaches, and the National Speech & Debate Association in promoting these skills across grade levels and learning settings.
Introduced February 21, 2025 by Charles Ernest Grassley · Last progress February 21, 2025