Teacher of the Month Resumes, Thanks to Grant from KKR

826 Valencia has always held an appreciation for teachers at its core. Since 2008, we have invited colleagues, students, and parents of students in the SFUSD to nominate teachers who especially supported or inspired them. Every month, one teacher received a packet of materials from their community celebrating their achievements, a certificate of appreciation and a letter to their principal from 826 Valencia, and a $1500 award. The Teacher of the Month program was a way to celebrate teachers directly and materially – an important part of 826’s mission from the beginning.

However, when the pandemic hit, 826 Valencia’s finances were seriously impacted. We paused the Teacher of the Month program to focus our budget on supporting our students. Grateful parents and admiring students continued to nominate their most impactful teachers, but as of June 2020, 826 was unable to recognize them financially.

Now, thanks to a generous grant from the KKR COVID Response Fund, we are once again able to honor these amazing teachers. We appreciate teachers now more than ever, as so many new challenges continue to arise.

We are delighted to reinstate the Teacher of the Month program, starting with Downtown High School’s Charmaine Shuford!