One of the top reasons educators say they leave the profession in the first five years is lack of support. The Louisiana Association of Educators is actively seeking to change this by focusing on helping all early-career educators make a smooth transition into the profession. In conjunction with the NEA, the association is focusing on the engagement, recruitment, and support of those professionals new to the education profession. The overall focus is simple: building relationships with the next generation of educators.
Having grown up in today’s political climate, many new school employees are unfamiliar with the benefits of membership that they can use to not only expand their professional knowledge, but also to elevate their voices on issues impacting their classroom. The association surveys new educators in order to best understand what interests them and uses this feedback drive certain decisions surrounding needed supports and professional development topics. Organizers are using this information to personalize digital communications so that each new educator is only receiving information on resources that are of interest to them.
Several of the LAE's local chapters have started establishing new educator support groups, where teachers and other school employees with five years of experience (or less) come together in social settings to meet colleagues their age. This provides a unique opportunity to establish a cohesive group of colleagues who feel comfortable turning to each other for professional support.
Interested in working on this exciting new initiative? Contact LAE's Early Career Organizational Specialist Yvie Johnson to find out how your can get involved.
