Established in 2022, the network works to support and retain educators of color
Springfield, IL, September 17, 2024—Teach Plus, a national nonprofit that empowers teachers to lead student-centered improvements in educational policy and instructional practice, has selected 37 educators from around Illinois as Facilitators for its 2024-25 Affinity Group Network (AGN) program. The Network, established by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) in 2022 and administered by Teach Plus, aims to create safe, supportive, and transformative spaces for educators of color and thus help to retain them in the profession. Data shows that 98% of teachers of color who participated in the Network during its first year, 2022-23, have remained in Illinois schools.
“All educators deserve to feel valued, connected, and empowered in their work,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “Illinois has received national recognition for our work to increase diversity in our teacher workforce, starting with supporting and retaining our current teachers of color. I applaud Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly for dedicating $1 million in state funds in fiscal year 2025 to continue to support the work of the Illinois Affinity Group Network, which has demonstrated a real impact on the retention of educators of color across our state by fostering supportive spaces where teachers can grow, collaborate, and ultimately transform the lives of their students.”
“I am thrilled by the renewed attention and support for educators of color across the state that this work brings,” said Clarissa Williams, Teach Plus Illinois Affinity Group Network Program Director. “As we co-create the Network with teachers of color, we see that its impact on educators and their students can be far-reaching and can build the continued momentum needed for lasting and holistic change in school communities. We hope that the affinity groups continue to offer opportunities to identify and elevate issues for teachers of color with creative solutions for change.”
Teach Plus Illinois recruits and selects Facilitators who develop, launch, and oversee affinity groups, becoming part of a larger movement to support educators of color in authentic, inclusive, intersectional spaces. Facilitators receive training to conceptualize and design their affinity groups, and leadership coaching to implement them throughout the school year to build skills, share ideas, and work through common problems. The 2024-25 Facilitators’ years of experience in education range from three to 27 years; they hold varying positions in their districts including teachers, school counselors, school-based administrators, and district leaders.
During the 2022-23 school year, nearly 600 teachers of color from across 62 Illinois districts participated in 43 affinity groups. In 2023-24, there were more than 400 participants from 50 districts. Data collected after the 2022-23 school year shows that 98% of the participants remained as educators in the state, with 86% staying in their current roles. Network teachers of color said they benefited from their affinity groups in multiple ways, including increasing their capacity for racial/equity work, building stronger ally relationships, and finding a greater sense of belonging. Data also shows that affinity groups have helped to increase teachers’ of color sense of belonging, with almost 90% reporting that their participation had a positive impact on them in every aspect studied.
“Our affinity groups serve as a means of retention, particularly at a time when district and school teachers and leaders, especially educators of color, are leaving the profession in higher numbers than ever before. Without the support of our Illinois Affinity Facilitator Group, we would struggle to have the life-impacting experiences that serve us as people and professionals,” said Nicole Moody, 2024-25 Teach Plus Illinois Affinity Group Network Facilitator and Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and School Culture in Springfield.
“The first IL Affinity Group Network for BIPOC educators meeting I went to, I was welcomed with a hug from someone I’ve never met before and told ‘welcome home.’ That moment began the healing not only of my heart but years of generational trauma and stress. That hug reminded me of everything and every reason why I became an educator. I want to thank Dr. Nicole Nash Moody for that healing hug and Teach Plus for being the light for teachers of color, watering the soil for us to grow and heal, and giving us the nourishment we need to plant more seeds,” said Shelby Green, 2024-25 Teach Plus Illinois Affinity Group Network Facilitator and special education math teacher in Springfield.
If interested in interviewing Teach Plus Illinois AGN staff and facilitators, please contact Kelly Pearce at kpearce@teachplus.org or 928-925-9236.
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. In pursuing our mission, Teach Plus is guided by our Student Opportunity Mandate: All students should have the opportunity to achieve their potential in an education system defined by its commitment to equity, its responsiveness to individual needs, and its ability to prepare students for postsecondary success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. teachplus.org/il
