Giving Teachers the Extra Credit They Deserve

CELEBRATE TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK WITH OUR UNITED WAY!

One of our United Way’s three pillars is Education — we are committed to helping today’s youth achieve their greatest potential through early learning and leadership programs. And from May 8 through May 12, we are celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week.

From elementary schools to universities, everyone can think of at least one teacher who pushed us to be our best selves or inspired us. Teachers are shaping today’s students to become tomorrow’s achievers. Where would we be without them? From our perspective, teachers are so great that they should get the entire year to show our appreciation!

Here are 5 incredible facts about teachers from recent studies that may surprise you:

• Teachers are second only to the U.S. Military as the occupation that most heavily contributed to the well-being of society
• The average workweek for a teacher is 53 hours.
• Teachers are not in it for the money — 97% noted that good school leadership was the most important factor for them to stay in their roles. Salary didn’t even make the top 10.
• 83% of students say a teacher has boosted their self-esteem and confidence.
• 94% of teachers go into their own pockets for classroom purchases — spending an estimate of $500 each year of their own money on classroom supplies.

Recently we joined forces with Publix stores throughout Broward County to show our support and respect for teachers through our Tools for Schools — a day where we honored our community’s teachers by presenting them with gift cards to purchase much-needed resources for their classrooms.

With our Tools for Schools, teachers can be better equipped with learning materials for their students and classrooms while feeling our deep gratitude and admiration for their incredible dedication.

Arguably no one works harder than teachers, and many schools often don’t have the budgets to give teachers what they need to foster optimal learning. A critical component of our dedication to educational programs in Broward County is recognizing that our community’s teachers need support, care and resources.

Our recent Tools for Schools was an incredibly joyful day, and it was one humble, but meaningful way our United Way and Publix said thank you to powerful people who play such a huge role in making our society better.

Here is a video of some of the wonderful reactions from our community’s teachers at our Tools for Schools: