Philadelphia Affinity Group Network
Empowering educators to co-create safe, supportive, and transformative spaces to support educators of color
The Philadelphia Affinity Group Network, led by Teach Plus Pennsylvania, cultivates authentic, inclusive, intersectional spaces, to support educators of color. These identity-affirming and supportive spaces, rooted in an asset-based understanding of diversity, support educators in navigating and improving their school environments and are connected to a larger network to build alliances and address systemic issues.
What is the Philadelphia Affinity Group Network?
The Philadelphia Affinity Group Network, seeks to cultivate authentic, inclusive, intersectional spaces to support educators of color. These affirming and supportive spaces, rooted in an asset-based understanding of diversity, will support educators in navigating and improving their school environments. They will be connected to a larger network to build alliances and address systemic issues, and will be open to educators currently working in Philadelphia district and charter schools.
The network started with 21 affinity groups across the city in 2023-24 and expanded in 2024-25, serving over 300 educators since the initial launch.
Each affinity group is facilitated by a teacher leader who participates in monthly professional learning, coaching support from a Teach Plus leadership coach, and are part of a community of practice of fellow facilitators. Together, these supports equip teacher leaders to design their affinity group, recruit members, and lead monthly affinity group meetings.
Why Join?
The Philadelphia Affinity Group Network is open to all K-12 teachers and educators in non-administrator roles in the School District of Philadelphia and Philadelphia-based charter schools.
Benefits:
- Networking: Connect with like-minded teachers to build supportive professional relationships.
- Community: Participate in monthly meetings with food, discussion, and community-building.
- ACT 48 Credits: Earn professional development credits.
- Stipends: Eligible members may also be compensated for their time and commitment to the affinity groups throughout the duration of the 2024-25 program.
Why Affinity Groups?
Affinity spaces to support educators of color have been identified by researchers as a promising practice for retaining educators of color, particularly Black male educators, by creating culturally affirming environments where teachers can share openly, feel solidarity, engage in collaborative problem-solving and support around the challenges teachers of color experience, and cultivate tools for individual advocacy and collective advocacy to meet both professional and personal goals. One such program, The Black Teacher Project, found that their affinity-based professional development decreased isolation and increased retention for Black teachers. Recommendations for affinity group spaces have also emerged out of both of Teach Plus’ national research projects involving focus groups of teachers of color.
How Does It Work?
Teach Plus recruits and selects Philadelphia Affinity Group Network Facilitators from across the city who will develop, launch, and facilitate affinity groups. 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 Philadelphia’s classrooms.
What do the Philadelphia Affinity Group Network Facilitators do?
- Philadelphia Affinity Group Facilitators are passionate about cultivating authentic, inclusive, intersectional affinity spaces, to support educators of color.
- To support the goal of designing and launching an affinity space, Facilitators will receive monthly leadership coaching and cohort-style professional learning with other affinity group facilitators to build skills, share ideas, and work through common problems.
- Facilitators fulfill additional leadership responsibilities, including affinity group participant recruitment, agenda creation, and monthly meeting facilitation.
- Facilitators receive a $2,000 stipend for their commitment.
Facilitators design and facilitate Affinity Groups which will:
- Be responsive to local needs and be designed by facilitators and participants
- Meet at least monthly throughout the year
- Budget and manage additional funds to support the design and facilitation of their affinity groups
- Participate in a network of educator-led Affinity Groups to support educators of color
