Edifying Teachers

Our work helping to better support, retain and develop teachers is having a growing impact - we’re grateful and excited to expand our reach through new and continuing partnerships!

🎉 Celebrating a Milestone in Education Equity! 🎓 Congratulations to Leticia Alvarez the first graduate of Normandale Community College @SpedUP program—an innovative effort designed to increase the number of BIPOC special education teachers in Minnesota. Your journey from paraprofessional to licensed educator is a powerful example of what’s possible when community, coaching, and culturally responsive support come together! 🙌🏽 We also salute the visionary teams behind SpedUP, @normandale_cc , and Sirtify for building a pipeline that centers the lived experiences and leadership of future BIPOC educators. This kind of wraparound support is essential—and it’s working. At UpLiFT Movement, we’re excited about the potential to partner in this work. Our model of culturally sustaining mentorship is designed to support pre-service educators beyond licensure—through their critical first years in the field. Shot out to the previous executive director @MarvisKilgore. Thanks to our partner @EdifyTeachers for sharing this write up with us. Why does this matter? 📉 Nearly 30% of teachers leave the profession within 5 years. ✊🏽 BIPOC educators often exit due to lack of mentorship, cultural isolation, and inequitable school climates. 💡 UpLiFT’s community-based, identity-affirming mentorship helps new teachers not only stay—but thrive. We’re looking forward to collaborating with programs like SpedUP to strengthen the full educator pipeline—from preparation to long-term retention. lnkd.in/g5mMif2c #UpLiFTMovement #CulturallySustainingMentorship #BIPOCEducators #TeacherRetention #SpedUP #NormandaleCollege #EducationEquity #MinnesotaEducators #EdifyingTeachers #Sirtify #SpecialEducation

As another school year begins, let’s get this circulating the internet once again!

Our work helping to better support, retain and develop teachers is having a growing impact - we’re grateful and excited to expand our reach through new and continuing partnerships!

Happy Black Teacher Appreciation Day! Culturally Sustaining Mentorship Program Tag: @EdifyTeachers @District287 @RealMenTeach2 @Morehouse #upliftmovement #MentorshipMatters #weneedblackteachers #thankablackteacher

Shoutout to Giana for her leadership and support with our first cohort of teachers in California! In addition to her tremendous professional expertise, Giana's lived experiences in Stockton are helping us stay true to our model, which grounds our mentorship work in each community's context. Why did Giana sign up to be part of our work? "As a teacher who is a woman of color, I resonate deeply with my colleagues and feel motivated to put a stop to the teacher turnover cliff and close the revolving door of teacher hiring and retention. I have found when mentoring teachers that by being an active listener and driving deliverables that are curated for the mentee's needs, I can help drive teacher satisfaction and support for the staff member. Ultimately, our schools and our students need strong teacher leaders in the classroom, and new teachers need a strong mentor who can help drive them to success, not only with their own student data but help drive their success in achieving their own professional goals." Giana also serves in leadership with our good partners, @Latinos4Ed! #TeacherAppreciationWeek

We're thrilled to share that we've begun supporting teachers and staff in California, beginning with a partnership supporting the Stockton campus of Voices College-Bound Language Academies - kudos and thank you!

What is Collective Impact —and why is it a game-changer in education? In this powerful episode Scott Barron sits down with Dr. Rudy Ruiz to explore how collaboration, mentorship, and trust can reshape the future of teaching. open.spotify.com/episode/1BD7oK…

The secret to teacher retention? Mentorship. Trust. Collective Impact. Dr. Rudy Ruiz shares his journey and vision for education in this must-hear episode of Educators Among Us. Take the next step toward a stronger, more united environment. open.spotify.com/episode/1BD7oK…

Happy Birthday to Innovator, Educational Entrepreneur, and Founder of @EdifyTeachers, @DrRudyRuiz today! Salute! #RealMenTeach💯

"Fall in love with your life. Wake up early, buy your favorite coffee, go for walks, eat good food, wear what makes you feel confident, and listen to your favorite music. Purposefully create these small moments that make you fall in love with your life." ~Unknown

Don’t doubt yourself. Don’t let fear hold you back. On the other side of fear is courage. Grab hold of that courage and go. You are capable. #believe #believeinyourself #believe_in_yourself #believe2success #believing #youcandoit #youcan

“I tell my students, 'When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else". ― Toni Morrison

This week get shiny

😀We're grateful and excited to be featured for our work, "Scalable Success: Teacher Mentorship as a Solution to the STEM Teacher Shortage" in this brand new report from Beyond100K - check it out! 👇🏽

“Those that know do, those that understand teach.” - Aristotle #ProfessorValentine #RealMenTeach🐢 @UMDPublicPolicy @UMDCollegeofEd @UofMaryland

We're hiring, because every teacher deserves a great mentor 👇🏽 edifyingteachers.com

We are honored to have featured your work in the #Beyond100K 2025 Trends Report. Thank you @EdifyTeachers!