“TEACH.org really tries to come at it from different angles to support folks. And not just saying, here’s a one sentence or sticker answer that applies to everybody, but how can we really work with each individual to say, how can we support you in answering the questions in a way that fits and feels best to you in your teacher journey?” - NiKole Nickerson, Senior Regional Program Manager at TEACH.org North Carolina
TEACH.org’s Mission
TEACH.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding and supporting the next generation of teachers to ensure our nation’s students have the teachers they deserve. Through their work, they partner with state education agencies, school districts, nonprofits, and Teacher Prep Programs in their partner regions to effectively recruit and retain educators.
Teacher Recruitment
TEACH.org focuses on getting quality teachers into the classroom in a way that they feel prepared and ready to be successful. They work to help educators feel supported and prepared from the very beginning of their journey, so they have a solid foundation when entering the workforce.
Partnerships are central to TEACH.org’s work to provide aspiring educators with a robust support system. Through their partner regions, they collaborate with districts, colleges, and universities to provide resources to those interested in entering the education field. This allows them to identify community and state-specific needs and create unique solutions for each region.
Barriers to Teaching
In talking with NiKole Nickerson, Senior Regional Program Manager in North Carolina, she shared that figuring out where to start and how to become licensed can be tricky and varies from state to state. However, TEACH.org helps simplify what can be a confusing and overwhelming process for aspiring teachers.
A couple of the largest challenges TEACH.org finds in teacher recruitment are financial barriers and the amount of time expected of teachers. From college tuition to certification exams to licensure fees, becoming a teacher includes high costs and dedicated time. Additionally, requirements for teaching often extend beyond the time that the school day ends.
TEACH.org also addresses what NiKole shares as the “10 perception barriers that research shows into getting into teaching. And they break it down into a couple of different overall categories of self connection, emotional connection, intellectual connection, and pragmatic connection.” These barriers include asking questions like:
- Will I be good at teaching?
- Will people look like me doing this work? Am I one of the only teachers of color, for example, in a majority-white school?
- Would teaching be aligned with my sense of purpose?
- Will my family support this work?
- How does it look to grow in this work? How will I be supported?
TEACH.org’s One-Stop Platform
To combat the previously mentioned challenges, TEACH.org has built a comprehensive, one-stop platform designed to support teachers through their education journey, specific to their state. Through their platform, they offer tools and resources to help individuals find the best Educator Preparation Program, prepare for certification exams, receive financial aid, connect with mentors, and so much more.
As Angela Wunderlich, Senior Regional Program Manager in Minnesota, shared, “It’s really amazing to know that TEACH.org can support the incredible work that’s already happening, and that we’re just chipping away at these many barriers to becoming a teacher.”
If you’re interested in learning more about TEACH.org, you can visit their website at https://www.teach.org/ or listen to their featured episode on Inspiring Teachers: The Honored Podcast. If you have an incredible teacher you want to celebrate, nominate them for our $5,000 Honored National Teaching Award below!
