As we honor National Teacher Appreciation Week 2026 (May 4-8) at the Surge Institute, we ask you to take a moment and recognize what the data confirms and what communities have always known: Teachers are the backbone of our education system.

The data demands attention, particularly as it relates to communities of color. 

Research from the Learning Policy Institute shows that students of color who have at least one teacher of their own race are significantly more likely to graduate, attend college, and believe in their own potential. Yet, Black educators represent only 7% of the national teaching workforce, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. 

That gap is no coincidence. It is a consequence of systemic inequities. But that is why Surge Institute exists, and is precisely why this week matters.

This Teacher Appreciation Week, Surge honors every educator who showed up when the system tried to push them out. The teachers who stayed late, called parents back, wrote recommendation letters, dried tears, and planted seeds of greatness in their students. We see them, celebrate them, and we’re committed to ensuring the world finally delivers the leadership platform these educators have always deserved.

We invite teachers to take the Teacher Appreciation Week Poll below to share your voice.