TEACHERS WE APPRECIATE YOU!✦ 500+ SURGE ALUMNI STRONG✦ BLACK & BROWN LEADERS RISING✦ NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK · MAY 4–8, 2026✦ SURGE INSTITUTE · SURGEINSTITUTE.ORG✦ TEACHERS WE APPRECIATE YOU!✦ 500+ SURGE ALUMNI STRONG✦ BLACK & BROWN LEADERS RISING✦ NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK · MAY 4–8, 2026✦ SURGE INSTITUTE · SURGEINSTITUTE.ORG✦
🌟 Teacher Appreciation Week · May 4–8, 2026
✊🏾 TEACHERS, WE APPRECIATE YOU! ✊🏿

500+Surge Alumni
10+Years Strong
8Cities Strong

You didn't just teach a classroom. You changed the trajectory of a child who looked like you — and finally saw themselves reflected in power, in excellence, in possibility. This Teacher Appreciation Week, Surge Institute celebrates every Black and Brown educator who showed up, spoke up, and SURGED forward.

Your story doesn't end in the classroom. Your destiny is in the principal's office, the superintendent's chair, and the boardroom. Ready to find out how 500+ Surge alumni see it too?

QUESTION 01 / 06
🗳️ Multiple Choice 600+ Votes
This Teacher Appreciation Week, how would you describe the GIFT a Black or Brown educator gave your leadership journey?
🔥 Transformative — they ignited a fire in me that still burns
🌱 Foundational — they built the bedrock I lead from every day
🌟 Visionary — they saw my greatness before I did
💡 Illuminating — they unlocked a purpose I didn't know I had
🔥 42% of Surge alumni say their Black or Brown educator was Transformative — because when you see yourself reflected in excellence, everything changes.
QUESTION 02 / 06
🗳️ Multiple Choice 600+ Votes
What ONE investment would most ACCELERATE Black and Brown educators into bold education leadership roles?
📚 Culturally affirming leadership programs that see and celebrate who we are
🌐 Powerful networks of Black and Brown mentors who open doors and lift as they climb
⚖️ Equity-centered hiring that matches opportunity to our undeniable talent
💸 Fully funded pathways that make leadership development accessible to everyone
📚 38% of Surge alumni say culturally affirming programs are the #1 accelerator — which is exactly what Surge Institute was built to deliver.
QUESTION 03 / 06
🗳️ Multiple Choice 600+ Votes
If you could get ONE thing to help take your leadership to the next level, what would it be?
🤝 A tight-knit cohort of educators like me — people who get it and push me to grow
🌱 A community built for Black and Brown principals — where I can exhale, heal, and lead better
🏙️ A local leadership program that understands my city, my students, and my community
💡 Resources and support to launch an idea that could change education in my community
🤝 45% of educators say having a cohort of people who truly get it is the single most powerful investment in their leadership — and that's exactly what Surge Institute was built to provide.
QUESTION 04 / 06
🏆 Priority 600+ Votes
What leadership experience would make you feel most UNSTOPPABLE as a Black or Brown education leader?
🤝 A powerful cohort of people who share your story — so you never lead alone
🎯 A Black or Brown mentor in your corner who has walked your exact path
📊 The tools to walk into any room and lead with evidence, strategy, and authority
🌱 Retreats that fill your cup so you can pour endlessly into your community
🤝 48% of Surge alumni say leading alongside people who get it is the most unstoppable feeling — community-forged leadership lasts a lifetime.
QUESTION 05 / 06
🗳️ Multiple Choice 600+ Votes
When you think about the future of Black and Brown students in America's schools, what leadership gap keeps you up at night?
👁️ Kids not seeing themselves reflected in school leadership or curricula
📉 Persistent achievement and opportunity gaps driven by systemic inequity
🏫 The rapid loss of Black and Brown principals from schools and districts
🗣️ Education policy being made without the voices of leaders of color
👁️ 52% of Surge alumni lose sleep over kids not seeing themselves in school leadership. Representation isn't symbolic — it's survival. That's why we Surge.
QUESTION 06 / 06
🎯 Your Next Bold Move
You made it — and that tells us everything. YOU are exactly who Surge was built for. What bold move are you making NEXT?
🚀 Apply now — I'm stepping into my destiny as a Surge Fellow or Academy member
📧 Keep me connected — I'm building toward Surge and want to stay inspired
🤝 Connect me with a Surge alum — I want to hear from someone who walked this path
📢 I'm paying it forward — someone in my circle needs to know about Surge right now
🚀 38% of Surge alumni said: Apply now. And they never looked back. The perfect moment is the one where you decide — your community needs you leading today.
TEACHERS, WE APPRECIATE YOU! — WITH LOVE FROM 500+ SURGE ALUMNI — ✊🏾

Your Leadership Journey
Starts Right Now.

Thank you for completing this poll. Your voice joins 500+ Surge alumni who are transforming Black and Brown education leadership across America. This Teacher Appreciation Week and every week — we see you, we celebrate you, and we SURGE with you.

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