Appreciation Isn't Enough: How One Big Ed Funder Is Boosting Teacher Well-Being

Teachers have been through it. The job is tough at the best of times, and the last few years haven’t been the best of times. When the pandemic hit, teachers had to make the quick shift to remote learning, and then spent months trying to reach and teach students over Zoom (many were simultaneously managing their own kids at home).

Once schools opened again, teachers had to follow new health protocols while helping returning students. Many of those students returned traumatized by months of isolation and the deaths of loved ones. Others are seriously behind academically. Meanwhile, schools have faced parents’ anger over school closures, mask mandates and so-called critical race theory.

An ongoing mental health crisis is causing teachers to quit their jobs. Many have already done so, and ever-present staff shortages are adding to workloads and contributing to burnout. Teacher shortages could get even worse: A February 2022 survey of educators conducted by the National Education Association found that 55% say they plan to leave the profession sooner than planned. These numbers are even higher for educators of color.

Most major education funders today are addressing pandemic fallout: Some are exploring fixes for learning loss, others are focused on youth mental health issues, and still others are prioritizing parents’ concerns and education alternatives. At the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), the approach involves zeroing in on educators as the essential ingredient for learning and asking the question: How can we help teachers?

CZI marked Teacher Appreciation Week by committing over $4 million to seven organizations “to support teacher communities and boost wellbeing,” according to the announcement. The CZI grantees include groups that work with schools and teachers to provide coaching, mentorship and other support. All of the grantees emphasize racial justice, and five focus specifically on teachers of color (see a complete list of grantees).

Priscilla Chan, CZI’s cofounder and co-CEO, announced the initiative at the NewSchools Venture Fund Summit 2022 on May 5. She also described her own experience as a child from a poor immigrant family — one of the first Asian families in Quincy, Massachusetts — who felt like she didn’t belong. “I had teachers all along the way who made me feel at home, who gave me a foothold in the community to build on and grow and become my grown-up self over the course of my K-12 education,” said Chan, a pediatrician who has worked as a teacher. “Every day, I feel and try to express gratitude for teachers, but in this moment, they need more than gratitude, they need action.”

“Healing adult culture so teachers are sustained”

Educator Kelly Knoche created The Teaching Well, one of CZI’s seven grantees, in 2015. As a teacher in the Oakland School District, Knoche thought her students would benefit from a social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum and decided to develop one. When Knoche’s colleagues saw what she was doing, they said they needed it, too — not just for their students, but for themselves.

Knoche began creating a regular safe space for educators where they could do yoga, discuss experiences and share coping strategies, and simply unwind and be together. The Teaching Well grew from there.

“Giving teachers the time and space to navigate stress, connect with a community of their peers, and strengthen their practice is essential so that they can support the full needs of their students,” Knoche said.

The Teaching Well seeks to strengthen school communities by working with educators and administrators, providing mentoring, trainings, one-on-one coaching and other services.

“Most educators didn’t come into the field for money,” said Lindsey Fuller, who co-directs The Teaching Well with Knoche. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be paying them significantly more — trust me, we advocate that. But that’s not really what draws most folks here. It’s a service industry, and these are servant leaders. And in my experience in education over more than a decade, most people don’t leave because of the kids. Most people are leaving because of challenging dynamics across positionality and race, because of dysregulated adult cultures. The Teaching Well is super-focused on healing adult culture so teachers are sustained and they can do great work with kids.”

The Teaching Well’s approach boosts teacher retention, and to date, has saved school districts over $2.5 million in turnover costs, according to the organization’s data. The Teaching Well is now developing a new Trauma Transformation Program that will offer clinical group therapy for educators, administrators and staff at schools where, for example, violence has occurred, educators and staff have experienced vicarious trauma, or the school is facing merger or closure.

The Teaching Well will use the CZI funding to prototype and pilot the new program, but Fuller pointed out that the grant came in the form of general operating dollars, so the organization itself could decide how to use it. Fuller also appreciates CZI’s reporting process, which she calls “really sustainable, which is what small organizations need.”

The Teaching Well’s other funders include Koshland Foundation, which was an initial supporter and one of the organization’s largest, the Margulf Foundation, the Quest Foundation, the Rogers Family Foundation, the William H, Donner Foundation and the W.K.Kellogg Foundation.

An initial investment

Another Teacher Appreciation Week has come and gone, and with it, the cards, flowers and coffee mug slogans attesting to how much everyone hearts teachers. But as Chan said, gratitude isn’t enough. CZI plans to continue its commitment to teacher wellbeing: The $4 million in grants was presented as an “initial investment.” Other education experts have proposed a range of measures to support educators, including longevity bonuses for veteran teachers, student loan forgiveness, and — of course — higher pay.

The need is urgent — and not just for teachers themselves. Research demonstrates the link between teacher and student wellbeing: A 2018 study found that classrooms where teachers experience high levels of stress have the lowest student outcomes. Taking care of our educators is critical — not just for teachers, but for all the children who rely on them.

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