About Us
TEAL is a teacher-led, member-driven advocacy community that is centered around and powered by educators.
Through our chapters, we support teachers’ role in education development by providing the space, resources, guidance, and compensation necessary for educators to be acknowledged as experts in their local contexts.
Meet our team *
Meet our team *
Our team is comprised of three parts:
A Board of Directors which governs our organizational decisions.
A Board of Advisors which offer counsel on specific domains of education.
A Teacher Council which ensures the perspectives of educators are present in our decision making.
Board of Directors
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Jon Hudson
Co-founder/Co-CEO
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Lillian Purich
Co-founder/Co-CEO
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Dr. William Smith
Board Chair
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Kiki Peterson
Secretary
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Dr. Phillip Ryan
Programs Director
Board of Advisors
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Alexander Parker
Teacher Engagement Advisor
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CAYLIN KAUNAS
Marketing Advisor
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Dr. Fatih Aktas
Partnerships Advisor
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APRIL THOMAS
Accessible Education Advisor
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DR. JANINE DOMINGUES
Social-Emotional Education Advisor
Teacher Advisory Council
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Patrick Burke
Lead 3rd/4th Grade Humanities Teacher
FAQs
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Our two top priorities for teachers is that:
(1) their expertise is considered a critical part of education development which is not only acknowledged but prioritized.
(2) they are compensated for their contributions at every step of the process.
Besides the opportunity to have your voice heard, we want to pay you fairly for the impact you have on education.
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Yes, membership is completely free forever for all classroom educators, paraprofessionals, counselors, and support staff. No catch.
We believe finances should never be a barrier to democratic participation. In giving teachers a voice, we’re giving ALL teachers a voice.
Our funding comes from:
memberships for other stakeholder groups (administrators, community members, NGOs, etc.)
donations from individuals and organizations who support teacher empowerment.
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As a free member, you get access to:
Pay foreach time and in any way you contribute your expertise.
A platform to advocate for issues that matter to you as an educator.
Co-created teaching resources and tools.
The ability to request or to join local Town Halls and Co-Creation Labs.
Opportunities to be selected for expert panels on policy and curriculum.
The camaraderie of our community of educator advocates.
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We operate on the principle that teachers should be the primary architects. Instead of doing education policy, curriculum, and research for teachers, we create structured ways for them to be done with and by teachers.
By creating opportunities that are as accessible as possible, we are building a democratic method for educators to engage with the teaching field.
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1. Spread the Word & Share the Survey
Share our "Teacher Voices Survey" with your colleagues. Your input helps us accurately document the realities of teaching today – what's working and what isn't. (If you’re not an educator, share it with a teacher in your life.)2. Join Our Community
If you're an educator, paraprofessional, in-school librarian, or in-school support staff, become a free member today and contribute your voice to the movement. -
No. While our mission and values often align with those of teacher unions, TEAL is not a union.
Unions focus on the crucial work of winning teachers’ the working conditions for them to go allow them to thrive.
TEAL focuses on professional empowerment: we provide the platform and support for educators to directly shape the systems, tools, and policies that define their practice, turning their experiential knowledge into actionable solutions.
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No, TEAL is not a lobbying organization. We don't advocate for specific policies; we advocate for a process.
Our mission is to ensure teachers' voices are included in education development. We don't tell teachers what to support – we listen to what they already support and amplify those voices directly to policymakers.
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Our "squiggle" logo is a multi-layered symbol of our community:
The Shape: Resembling a whiteboard doodle, it reflects the collaborative, hands-on spirit of education.
The Figures: The line forms three people linking arms, symbolizing how we unite to amplify our collective voice.
The Color: The varying shades of teal represent our commitment to including and elevating the voices of all teachers.
The Teachers’ Empowerment and Advocacy League (TEAL) Inc is a non-partisan 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created by teachers, for teachers.
Our goal is to democratize education by amplifying teachers’ voices in education development through policy-making and curriculum development.
Our EIN: 39-4138339