top of page
Cassie (1).png

THE CENTER FOR EDUCATOR WELLNESS & LEARNING

Improving the inner and outer lives of educators

The SCEA's Center for Educator Wellness and Learning was established in 2022, and our mission is to improve the inner and outer lives of educators.

 

We believe in ​empowering educators with tools and information they need to be well, develop their craft, and advocate for their profession.

​Join the movement for the schools that South Carolina educators and students deserve!

CEWL
CEWL
Cassie (1).png

OUR VALUES

1. All teachers deserve to work in an environment where they feel supported, respected, and treated as the professionals they are.

2. All teachers deserve to be mentally and physically well and should be given the time and resources to take care of themselves.

3. Teacher workdays should generally be no longer than eight hours. Teachers should be provided at least ninety minutes of self-directed time each day to plan, grade, rest, walk, meditate, pray, collaborate, eat, read, etc.

4. Teachers should be given a reasonable amount of work to complete. Unnecessary meetings, paperwork, and tasks should be eliminated. Anything that can be included in an e-mail should not be presented in a faculty meeting.

5. Teachers have the right to a vibrant life outside of school. They should be afforded quality time to spend with their families and friends and pursue hobbies and interests.

6. The current "test and punish" culture that overemphasizes standardized testing has caused significant damage to teachers and the students they serve. We must work to dismantle a system that values data more than humanity and build a new one that truly serves the whole child and allows educators greater autonomy and creativity. We must rethink accountability, broadening the scope of our definition of success rather than continuing our myopic obsession with narrow, incomplete, and unreliable measures of student achievement.

7. Teachers should have significant input on the professional development they receive. Professional development should be relevant, interesting, and as interactive as possible.

8. Teacher stress is currently an epidemic. It is a moral duty for education leaders to address stressful working conditions and provide support to teachers who are struggling mentally and physically.

9. Teachers should have the time to exercise and be encouraged to develop healthy habits.

10. Schools should provide healthy lunch choices for all teachers.

11. The heart and passion teachers have for their students should not be exploited in ways that leave them burned out and unhealthy.

12. We do not accept attempts to gaslight educators when they assume the role of advocate by implying that they are not putting their "students first." We categorically reject attempts by anyone to manipulate teachers by making them feel guilty for standing up for themselves and their profession.

bottom of page