Teacher Support

826 is wildly pro-teacher, pro teacher-autonomy, and pro teacher-creativity. Our armies of volunteers help teachers be more effective, by honoring and respecting their role. 826 Valencia was founded by writers and teachers, and from the get-go, 826 set out to help teachers achieve their goals and accomplish their projects. We know that class sizes are enormous, and that compressed scheduling and the demands teachers face in schools mean they can’t do everything they‘d like to with their students. 826 steps in to bridge that gap.

Since October 2002, 826 Valencia, our founding site, has awarded a Bay Area teacher the 826 Teacher of the Month Award. There are so many students who have had their minds set aglow by a teacher’s zest for life and learning, and we like to play a very small part in rewarding them. The award includes a $1,500 gift for use in any way the honoree chooses. Potential winners need to have been in the classroom for four full years, and must be nominated by a previous or current student and an adult past college age, but the nomination can be in any form — letters of support, pictures, videotapes, anything, as long as we have specific examples of the teacher’s impact.

Each honoree is asked to choose a student to interview him/her for the 826 Valencia website. In this interview, they share their ideas, the lessons they’ve taught and learned themselves, and their keys to success in the classroom. The teachers are honored at a ceremony at the end of the year, hosted by 826 and attended by Bay Area educators, friends of 826, students, and parents.

826NYC has adopted the program, and awards teachers across the city for their hard work and dedication.

In 2005, along with teacher and journalist Daniel Moulthrop, co-founders Dave Eggers and Nínive Calegari co-authored a book about teachers’ lives. The book documents dedicated teachers and their frustrations, and also highlights three communities that are grappling with salary reform. Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America’s Teachers pairs statistics and analysis with the stories of teachers from across the country to show the consequences of low teacher pay on teachers, students and communities.

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