Illinois Affinity Group Facilitators

Helping educators of Color to create safe, supportive, and transformative spaces

What are Illinois Affinity Group Facilitators?

  • Illinois Affinity Group Facilitators seek to cultivate authentic, inclusive, intersectional spaces, shaped by and for educators of Color
  • Facilitators create affirming and supportive spaces, rooted in an asset-based understanding of diversity, which support educators in navigating and improving their school environments and are connected to a larger network to build alliances and address systemic issues
  • Facilitators support their peers by forming an affinity group in their context during the 2022-2023 school year
  • Facilitators lead a local Advocacy Action Team (recruited from the affinity group members) which will identify barriers to retention of educators of Color, and propose and advocate for solutions
  • Facilitators receive training to conceptualize and design their affinity group, leadership coaching, and are part of a professional learning community to build skills, share ideas, and work through common problems
  • Facilitators receive a $2,500 stipend for their commitment
Five teachers of color pose for photo

What Does Teach Plus Do?

Teach Plus trains teachers in a variety of skills including: Understanding Racism in order to Dismantle Racism; Personal Consciousness & Reflection; Setting Up Affinity Groups; Preparing to Lead Adults; Building Community & Learning; Building Momentum; and Organizing for Impact.

How Does It Work?

We recruit and select Illinois Affinity Group Facilitators from across the state who will start and facilitate affinity groups in their contexts. They will become part of a larger movement of racial equity and support for educators of Color, with the goal of keeping more educators of Color in Illinois’ classrooms.

Facilitators design and facilitate Affinity Groups which will:

  • Be responsive to local needs and be designed by facilitators and participants
  • Have at least eight members and meet at least monthly
  • Receive additional funds for community building & to support local Advocacy Action Teams
  • Be part of a network of teacher-led Affinity Groups for educators of Color
  • Be distributed across the 6 IL Regions, with a minimum of 3 in each region

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Teacher Voices

Op Eds

We Need Educators Skilled to Understand Our Students

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•Jul. 7, 2022
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Guest column: Why our schools need clear racial harassment policies

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•Jul. 1, 2022
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Tai Basurto On Her Journey From Teach Plus Teacher Leader to Chicago Public Schools’ Director for School Leader Development

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•Jun. 13, 2022
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Censoring books is bad for students, teachers and democracy

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•Apr. 26, 2022
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Creating a Play-Based Learning Environment to Make Learning Accessible for All

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•Apr. 20, 2022
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•Apr. 18, 2022