NcouragED, an organization working to reduce teacher burnout, is hosting its first annual NcouragED Educator Legend’s Luncheon, Nov. 16, at the Shiloh Christian Community Church, 825 Yale Avenue, in Baltimore. Educators from the mid-Atlantic region who have made significant contributions to the field of education over longstanding careers will be presented with the NcouragED Educator Legend’s Award. The theme of this event is “The faithful are never forgotten.”
The research is clear. Forty-seven percent of teachers leave the profession within the first five years; the number of teachers considering leaving has risen 125 percent in recent years; the number of teachers who feel less secure in their jobs has increased over 400 percent during the same time frame; and job satisfaction among teachers is at a 20-year low. (MetLife Survey of the American Teacher) Such statistics diminish the quality of teacher work life, the quality of education, and professional productivity.
NcouragED is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, virtual network of educators who support each other through encouragement, camaraderie, information, and resource sharing. The organization offers counseling referrals, free workshops, e-news, online support materials, mediation services, and much more. “We’re building a national network of educators who recognize the value of high morale. Parents don’t want discouraged educators in front of their children all day,” says NcouragED’s executive director, Dr. Ronald C. Williams.