SEE: Supporting Early-Career Educators
To share our vision, Leading Women Educators Impacting Education Worldwide, and strengthen our Society, the Educational Excellence Committee established Supporting Early-career Educators (SEE) as its second international project during the 2012 International Convention in New York City.
Why is our support needed? Education is a challenging career, and retaining quality teachers is an issue worldwide. According to Richard Ingersoll, the rate in U.S. of beginning teachers leaving the profession in the first year is a little more than 10%; with 33% leaving by Year 3 and 46% by Year 5. In addition, around 15% of U.S. teachers overall leave the profession each year. (Is There Really a Teacher Shortage, Ingersoll, 2003, p. 14)
Schools that have depended on a core of veteran teachers are seeing those teachers retire. As much is expected of a new teacher on the first day of school as is expected of a 30-year veteran. Teachers supporting teachers is crucial. Of the first year teachers assigned a mentor in 2007 – 2008, around 8% left the profession in 2008 – 2009. Of the first year teachers not assigned a mentor in the same years, about 16% were not teaching in 2008-2009 and about 23% were no longer teaching in 2009 – 2010. (Beginning Teacher Attrition and Mobility, Institute of Education Science, 2011, p. 3)
John F. Kennedy said, “In each one of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefits for everyone and a greater strength for our nations.”
We truly can make a difference with our support.
SEE encourages members/chapters to be creative in support of early-career educators with a variety of strategies
• giving support by phone calls and visits,
• helping with lesson plans and bulletin board ideas,
• offering advice on classroom management and parent-teacher relations; and
• providing support in appropriate and practical ways.
supporting SEE ideas
EEC ideas
SEE Project Flyer (2018)
SEE Letter to ECE (2018)
Resources for Chapter SEE Representatives
A flyer and letter focusing on involving Early Career Educators at the chapter level have been created. The flyer is a document that can be used alone or included with the DKG marketing brochure, A Journey for Life, in “snack bags” for new teachers and their administrators, as well as school district and community leaders. The letter is a written invitation to first-year teachers who chapter members are mentoring through their chapter SEE projects. The letter can be included in a “snack bag” or addressed personally to each SEE mentee and her administrator. For questions regarding the SEE Project, please contact our Zeta State SEE Representative.
