Thank you, @vanhollenformd , for endorsing the National Teacher Appreciation Week Resolution! During the first day of May Hill Week, NTPC member Jevons Liu, 2025 Baltimore City Public Schools Teacher of the Year, met with Senator Van Hollen on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of supporting and celebrating educators.
Gemma Jáuregui is TK-8 TK-8 literacy coach at the Language Academy, a dual-language immersion program in Sacramento where 95% of the teachers Latinx. As a student, the first time Gemma saw a Latina teacher was when she was in high school.
“I was enamored by her, just listening to her speak and use Spanish in the classroom. This transformed my whole view of what teaching was because I finally saw someone who looked like me and expressed themselves like me,” Gemma says. “We need more teachers to represent and advocate for our students. I love where I teach!”
CEDAN is working to build the diverse, fully prepared educator workforce CA students deserve. One priority: Strengthen workforce data and agency coordination so that efforts to diversify the profession are consistent and effective. #CEDAN #CaliforniaEducators #EducatorDiversity
“Research tells us again and again that educators are the most important aspect of making any classroom initiative successful, from raising math scores to deepening students’ sense of belonging. So we need to ask, what conditions are we providing for teachers?”
“Teaching allows all other professions to be possible. Teacher retention has to become the focus: this is how we shore up our economic landscape," Dr. Kai Mathews, Senior Policy Advocate for Educator Equity at Public Advocates, says.
CEDAN is working to build the diverse, fully prepared educator workforce CA students deserve. One priority: increase compensation to stabilize the educator workforce and expand affordable pathways into teaching. #CEDAN #CaliforniaEducators #EducatorDiversity
This #TeacherAppreciationWeek, teachers in the Teach Plus network shared their wishes: fixing the literacy crisis, building a stronger recruitment pipeline, using AI to reach every learner, and reimagining schools that work for every child, and more.
Watch all 11 videos at the link in bio!
“My wish for #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that every teacher is nurtured, compensated, and trusted to teach and lead from their classroom.”—Marissa Tanner, 7th grade social studies teacher, IN
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“My wish this #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that we find innovative solutions to the transportation solutions facing students and that every child has a safe and reliable way to get to school.”—Elizabeth Leung, kindergarten teacher, NM
“My wish for #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that every multilingual and dual language learner has equal access to high quality, evidence-based literacy instruction.”—Maria Zak, dual language teacher, MA
Watch: /shorts/2plnm_uh5kE
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“My wish and hope for #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that we never stop reimagining school until it is truly built for every student.”—Ashley Kannan, African American studies and U.S. history teacher, IL
“My wish for #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that we commit to the science of reading and refuse to let literacy gaps follow our students into the upper grades.”—Ellen Gelman, high school literacy intervention teacher, CO
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“My wish for #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that we harness AI and assistive technology tools to fulfill the promise of inclusion of all learners.”—Heather Gauck, elementary special education teacher, MI
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“My focus for #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that a student’s future should never be determined by their geography but by their access to intentional and equitable career planning.”—Elizabeth Maxcey, high school special education teacher, MS
“My wish for #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that we address the literacy crisis and invest in the future of our bright, resilient, and multilingual learners so they can unlock the potential that has been there along.”—Annette Freeman, 2nd grade teacher, CA
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“My wish this #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that we develop school and district leadership models that empower teachers to lead rather than leave and create the schools that our students and communities deserve.”—Trey Smith, K-8 digital literacy teacher, PA
“My wish for #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that education leaders invest in a recruitment pipeline. I hope that my students can continue to look at me and think, maybe that can be me one day!” — @thealiapope , 4th grade math and science teacher, Little Rock, Arkansas
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“My wish for #TeacherAppreciationWeek is that we finally treat teaching as the pivotal profession that it is, the one that shapes all other careers in our state.” —JoMeka Gray, kindergarten teacher, Temple, Texas
Frida Sanchez is a high school student in Anaheim. She is passionate about making change, especially in her community. “Wherever I choose to study, I hope to come back to my community so that I can give back to what created me,” she says.
Frida’s school is 93% Latino and there are many Latino teachers. One of them was Frida’s 9th grade math teacher. “She understood my background,” Frida says. “This played a huge role in me feeling connected to her. She made me want to come to math class.”
CEDAN is working to build the diverse, fully prepared educator workforce CA students deserve. One priority: expand affordable pathways into teaching, Grow Your Own initiatives for community members. #CEDAN #CaliforniaEducators #EducatorDiversity
"Momentum emerges from a clear vision and leadership alignment, and teachers need clearly defined roles to drive instructional change."
In this week’s Newsblast: Teach Plus CEO Kira Orange Jones on what it actually takes to redesign teaching from the inside.
Learn more and subscribe at the link in bio!
This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate all AAPI teacher leaders who inspire and elevate their students' learning.
#AAPIHeritageMonth
