$5,295 raised by 11 donors
53% complete
$10,000 Goal
At The Educator Collective, we know that an empowered and equipped teacher is the key to student success. We’re excited to launch our North Texas Giving Day campaign: "Support Teachers. Support Kids"— a powerful initiative aimed at providing educators with the community, leadership development, and resources they need to create thriving classrooms where the bright futures of our children are shaped.
Let’s come together to ensure that every teacher in DFW has the tools they need to help every child thrive. Because when we support teachers, we support kids—and that’s an investment that pays dividends for generations to come.
The Educator Collective is a professional community made up of teachers and other education professionals from across Dallas-Fort Worth. TEC memberships are offered free of charge and provide educators with opportunities to grow in our three areas of focus – community, leadership, and well-being. Within this basic framework, we give teachers access to the kinds of resources and relationships that will empower them to build lasting and accomplished careers in education.
Our programming is built around three targeted initiatives designed to increase educator effectiveness and retention: Community Building, Educator Well-Being, and Leadership and Development. TEC’s approach to this work is evidence-based and unique in the field.
TEC programming is designed to combat the educator attrition crisis and the results are clear: our approach works. Employment data over the last five years indicates a high level of teacher retention amongst TEC members. Members directly credited TEC with keeping them in the classroom - a trend pronounced amongst educators that our students need the most.
TEC is currently fundraising for its Dallas membership events. To learn more about TEC and our impact, visit our website:
The Educator Collective is the first of its kind peer-support network of educators ensuring that teachers have access to community building, leadership development opportunities, and physical and mental wellbeing initiatives so that they can be equipped and empowered to stay in the classroom.
The Educator Collective is modeled after the type of professional associations that commonly support members’ career development in other sectors but are surprisingly absent in the education space. While many teacher development programs exist, there are no other organizations with the chief aim of cultivating a large-scale community of educators who are continually empowered to sustain and excel in their careers. Our approach to this work is evidence-based and unique in the field, and our focus on educator wellbeing is unmatched. Most importantly, evaluations of our programming have consistently demonstrated that our model works - educators served by The Educator Collective are significantly more likely to sustain their careers in the classroom than their Dallas area peers, and the vast majority directly credit the organization with supporting their retention.
Since the organization’s foundation in 2017, the organization has built a network of over 6,000 educator-members across 300 schools and 55 school systems. Whether through school partnerships or individual membership, our evidence-based programming connects, equips, and empowers Dallas educators to excel in their career. Our innovative approach and proven impact have earned recognitions from Social Venture Partners of Dallas, NBC5 DFW, and D Magazine, where The Educator Collective was awarded 2022 Innovation in Education award in recognition of our Educator Wellbeing Program. Through our commitment to innovation and excellence, we strive to create a thriving educational ecosystem where teachers are valued, supported, and equipped to inspire the next generation of learners.
We are proud to report the following metrics from the previous school year:
• 90% of teachers retained.
Of those teachers retained:
• 92% were teachers of color,
• 92% credit The Educator Collective with increasing their retention,
• 97% rated our events and programming with an overall positive response rate,
• 94% of teachers felt our programming helped manage their stress and improved their well-being.
The underlying systems in education perpetuate achievement gaps and disproportionally affect Black, Indigenous, other people of color (BIPOC) students and other marginalized groups. Providing all students with equitable access to experienced teachers has long been a struggle. The COVID-19 pandemic and current political climate surrounding education have exacerbated teacher shortages. This is especially concerning since achievement gaps between students of color and white students are dependent to access to experienced teachers.
At The Educator Collective, we deliver evidence-based programming, are building a staff and board that represent the communities we serve, and consciously incorporate lived experience from current teachers and their students. We seek to address barriers by investing in teachers as professionals, delivering excellent and responsive programming, and working alongside policy organizations to advocate for educational equity. We believe that every child should have access to a tenured teacher that has the tools to manage their own well-being and social resilience so that they can persist and excel in the profession.
When educators come together, are respected as professionals, and are provided with opportunities to grow together, schools and students succeed. We also hope to amplify the voices of those educators as they work day in and day with our students.
Organization name
The Educator Collective
Causes
Education - K-12
Operating Budget
$500,000 - $999,999
Counties Served
Dallas, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx
Address
4346 Somerville Ave