An Explanation by Mike Floersch, the Founder

  
My goal with our Support Our Teachers nonprofit is to empower and uplift the backbone of our educational system in District 196– our dedicated teachers.  As the Secondary Math Instructional Coach for ISD196 I have had the fortunate experience of being able to get in and observe our teachers across the district.  I have witnessed, time after time, how our teachers are making a difference in kid's lives every day.  Yes, teaching math is important, but it is not the main priority.  Our goal, as teachers, is to prepare students for their future, not only in the area of math, but also how to challenge themselves, have resilience, be a good citizen, and respect the people around us.  I took a survey last year of over 1200 students and I asked them what they appreciated most about their teachers.  Below you will find a word cloud of their responses.  The bigger the word, the more students said it.  Helpful, Kind, Patient, Understanding, Caring, and Encouraging are just a few of the words to highlight.  Teachers make an impact and it shows.  

However, did you know that over 40% of new teachers quit in the first 3 years of teaching?  In District 196 alone, I am anticipating over 20 math teachers in our middle and high schools will be retiring in the next 3 to 4 years.  Many colleges are finding there is a shortage of students choosing to go into education, especially in the math field because they have so many other options with a math degree like finance, marketing, business, accounting, sales, computer science, and mathematics in the private sector.  I am afraid it will be hard to replace those math teachers leaving us.  

My goal with this nonprofit is to find ways to support and show appreciation for, not only the math teachers, but eventually all educators and support staff in District 196.  We want to draw in the best teachers we can, keep them, and find a way to get our graduates to go into the teaching field.  If you take a look at what we would like to support, you will see that our goal is far reaching, from recognizing our students, volunteers, & teachers to promoting the teaching career.  We need to create sustainability of our teachers, mentor them, and show them we are all in this together.

The goal with the money raised is to spend it on things that are above and beyond what the school district is expected to supply for our teachers and students.  Here are just a couple of examples:

1. Create scholarships at each high school for graduates going into education.

2. Create awards of "Excellence" for both our middle and high school students.

3. Help pay for supplies and professional development to help our teachers improve in their craft.

4. Find ways to support our teachers observing their peers in the classroom which has been proven to have a positive affect. 

5. Create a math tutoring support group run by students and a mentor at each secondary school in the district.

6. Buy supplies, like calculators, for students to check out from the library for families that can't afford them.

7. Give a "Survival Kit" gift to our student teachers and to the adult volunteers in appreciation for giving of their time to work with our kids.

8. Find ways to show our teachers how much we appreciate them.

These are just a few of the items our Support Our Teachers nonprofit would love to fund.  Here is a more extensive list.  Ultimately, our mission is to empower teachers, inspire students, and advance the art of teaching. Our goal is to foster a nurturing environment where mathematics educators thrive, students excel, and a love for mathematics flourishes. Together, as a community, we aim to foster a district where every teacher receives the support, appreciation, encouragement, and tools they need to grow and, in turn, help students reach their full potential.

Would you please think about donating and thus supporting our students and teachers?

Thank you for your consideration and know teachers & students across the district appreciate you!

Mike Floersch

PS Go to our FAQs page to get more information and answers to many questions.