The Declaration was written in 2010 by a small group of teachers in New York, and then updated in 2016 by current, classroom teachers from across the country to reflect the ideas of E4E’s diverse and growing membership. Watch why and how the Declaration was refreshed:
The Declaration is a set of values and principles that educators believe are necessary to elevate the teaching profession and improve outcomes for all students. Add your name to this growing movement of educators dedicated to ensuring that the voice of classroom teachers should be heard by those shaping the policies that affect their classrooms.
A Declaration of Teachers’ Principles and Beliefs
As educators, all of our work is driven by our passion for our students and the belief that every child deserves an excellent education. We believe it is our responsibility to inspire and equip all students to succeed in college, career, and life. We know that disparities in our public education system are linked to race, power, and privilege, and we take action to address these inequities.
This Declaration unites members of Educators for Excellence across the country and is a common starting point for the conversations and advocacy that we lead in our local communities. It lays out many of the values and policies that we believe are necessary to improve outcomes for students and elevate the teaching profession.
We are committed to creating an education system that will:
Prioritize our students and their success by:
- Ensuring all students have equal access to high-quality schools, principals, and teachers
- Adopting and maintaining high standards and aligned assessments that challenge and support all students with rigorous and engaging instruction
- Building safe, inclusive schools and classrooms that honor the rights, identities, cultures, social-emotional needs, and potential of all students
- Providing access to high-quality early childhood programs, particularly for those from historically underserved communities
Strengthen the voices and practices of educators by:
- Attracting high-quality teacher candidates from diverse backgrounds with competitive salaries
- Providing practice-based teacher preparation that develops educators’ knowledge, skills, and mindsets
- Evaluating, supporting, and retaining teachers through a multi-measure system that includes student progress and informs professional development, compensation, and career pathways
- Reestablishing tenure as a significant professional milestone that recognizes impact, skill, and experience
- Protecting the right to freely associate, organize, and collectively bargain
Focus on equity by:
- Funding schools fairly with sufficient resources distributed based on student need
- Establishing transparent accountability systems that hold schools, districts, and states responsible for the progress of all students
- Collaborating with all stakeholders, including students and families as well as labor, civil rights, civic, and community-based organizations, to find solutions