How to Overcome Racism in High School and Become a Model Educator: One Teacher’s Story
Despite facing racism in high school, Vishaun Ezell found support that eventually led her into a rewarding teaching career. This is her story.
We Need More Programs that Encourage and Acknowledge Teachers of Color
Teachers don’t always arrive to the profession in the traditional way. They take many paths to get there, and they need extra support along the way.
How Two Teacher Unions Support Racial Equity in the Classroom
Teacher unions have expanded far beyond collective bargaining. In some cases, they are playing a critical role in supporting racial equity in the classroom.
What Effective Coaching and Mentoring for New Teachers Looks Like
What is the difference between coaching and mentoring? How did ELP conceptualize and structure these supports for New Teachers? And what do effective coaching and mentoring even look like? In this article, we dive into the two cornerstones of our support model for New Teachers.
How to Thrive When You’re the Only Black Teacher in Your School
Rachel Greene is a typical first-year teacher in many ways. She is navigating the ins and outs of her school, getting to know her students, and planning lessons. But she also faces a unique challenge: she is the only black teacher in her school.
How We Can Support Our Teachers of Color
By now, it’s common knowledge that teachers have been bending and breaking under relentless stress. Teachers of color, especially those in predominantly white communities, face an additional, unique set of stressors.
Teachers’ Mental Health: Warning Signs and How to Help
Karla Duff, Organizer at the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), recently sat down with us to discuss what teachers are struggling with, warning signs that things are not good, and how to help.
The Case for Joining ELP, Courtesy of the Wisconsin Education Association Council
This summer we were thrilled to learn that one of ELP’s original founding partners, the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), was ready to join our program during Year 2 of the pilot.
How to Succeed at Teaching with a Little Help from Your Friends
Teachers of the Year are much more than people who are excellent at their jobs. They are also vast reserves of accumulated wisdom on how to overcome challenges and succeed in a demanding, and deeply rewarding, career. As the 2021-2022 school year came to a close, we spoke with Teachers of the Year for Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa
What We Learned in Year 1 of the Pilot - and What Comes Next
This summer marks a big milestone for ELP: We are halfway through our two-year pilot test. We have much to learn and more to do, but feedback from New Teachers, Building Mentors, Virtual Instructional Coaches, local association presidents, and school administrators show we are onto something.
ELP and Unions Are Powering Systemic Change in Education
Imagine spending three years teaching early elementary school students. Your father builds a little house for your classroom, which of course your students love. You incorporate that little house into your curriculum, yet every time your principal comes into your classroom, he has no idea why or how that little house provides exciting opportunities for learning.
Easy Ways for Teachers to Work Wellness into Their Busy Lives
The COVID-19 pandemic spawned so many trends: baking bread, hosting happy hours on Zoom, and taking RV vacations. It also created a new category of words: burnout vocabulary.
ELP Provides Union Members with the Support They Need
During its 175 years, the Ohio Education Association (OEA) has prided itself on being the voice of educators and students in Ohio. And that starts with listening.
How A Local Association and a School District Are Working Together to Support New Teachers
Now that are nearly mid-way through the 2021-22 school year and the first year of ELP’s two-year pilot program, we decided to check in with Kathleen Miltz, the Assistant Superintendent for the Shelbyville, IN Central School District, and Meredith Hall, Shelbyville's Local President and a K-5 music teacher.
What It’s Like to Support New Teachers During a Complex School Year
So much is being asked of teachers, whether they’re new to the profession or have 20 years of classroom experience under their belt.
What’s next for ELP in 2022
In the past 20 months, awareness around social and racial justice in the US has skyrocketed. Initiatives that will ensure everyone, no matter their skin color, can experience a life that is fair and just have gained national attention. Educators are key players in this movement.
How New Teachers Can Support Their Black and Brown Students
In the past 20 months, awareness around social and racial justice in the US has skyrocketed. Initiatives that will ensure everyone, no matter their skin color, can experience a life that is fair and just have gained national attention. Educators are key players in this movement.
ELP Pilot Update: Successes, Lessons Learned and What’s Next
Despite the numerous and well-documented hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many silver linings emerged in unexpected places. For Mary Jane Morris, Program Director for the Illinois Virtual Instructional Coach and Building Mentor Program for the Illinois Education Association, it was the opportunity to launch and help refine ELP’s virtual coaching and mentoring model.
Valuable Lessons Learned from the ELP Pilot-Before-the-Pilot
Despite the numerous and well-documented hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many silver linings emerged in unexpected places. For Mary Jane Morris, Program Director for the Illinois Virtual Instructional Coach and Building Mentor Program for the Illinois Education Association, it was the opportunity to launch and help refine ELP’s virtual coaching and mentoring model.
A Grassroots, Collaborative Approach to Education Sets ELP Apart
“ELP is the realization of the best in education.” That is high praise coming from an anthropologist by training who has long worked at the intersection of philanthropy and education. But Robert Adams is not one to mince words. As soon as Robert heard about ELP, he knew the ELP team and its stakeholders were creating something special.