FAQ

What is LEE?

Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) is a 501(c) (4) nonprofit organization that was launched in 2007 to inspire, train and support Teach For America alumni and corps members to pursue public leadership by providing or connecting them to high-impact volunteer and career opportunities in politics, policy, advocacy, and elected office. Over the years, Teach For America alumni and corps members expressed a growing desire to engage more with the policy and political contexts that so impacted what they saw happening at the school and classroom level. Recognizing that Teach For America’s ability to engage in or to support advocacy and political work is quite limited as a traditional 501(c)(3) organization, LEE was born.

What is Teach For America's relationship with LEE?

LEE efforts focus on supporting members – all of whom are Teach For America corps members, alumni, or staff – so the two organizations have a partnership agreement and share some resources. That said, LEE is a separate entity, with its own mission, goals, and programmatic focus.

Who can join LEE?

Any Teach For America corps member, alumnus/a, or staff member is eligible to join LEE as a full member.

What is a “Friend of LEE”?

Friends and supporters of Teach For America corps members and alumni are eligible to join Friends of LEE.

Friends of LEE receive regular emails with updates on LEE’s accomplishments as well as members who are running for office or organizing issue campaigns. Friends of LEE may choose to provide financial and in-kind support to LEE members running a political or advocacy campaign, to be a mentor to a LEE member interested in policy or advocacy, and/or to post jobs and volunteer opportunities on the LEE website.

What are membership benefits?

LEE offers its members the information, skills, and experiences necessary to pursue high-impact careers and volunteer positions in politics, policy, advocacy, and elected office by:

1. Creating forums for learning about and discussing the political and policy landscape of local communities. LEE provides news about local and national education reform efforts and organizations; community discussion forums for debating and sharing information with other members; calendars with a range of trainings and events, some of which are discounted or free for members; and information about member candidates running for office, including ways to support them.
2. Providing the information, skills, and experiences needed to run for office and win. LEE offers political development and mentor programs, weekend skill-building seminars, one-on-one support and coaching with experts and on-line modules on important topics like campaign fundraising. In addition, LEE provides critical campaign resources, including a list of preferred campaign vendors, district maps and information on historical voting records, and campaign toolkits and templates covering everything from field plans to database management.
3. Connecting members to fellowship opportunities and jobs. LEE has an easy-to-search job database with hundreds of roles in policy, politics, and advocacy. In addition, LEE offers several fellowship programs for members interested in policy careers or elected office and has employer and fellowship partnerships with dozens of organizations interested in recruiting LEE members. The website also offers online career assessments and career reflections for those in the early stages of choosing a career path or considering elected office.
4. Encouraging LEE members and Friends of LEE to connect with one another to increase their impact. LEE enables members to easily create communities of interest, communicate ideas and activities, mobilize volunteers, and raise money for causes and campaigns. LEE members have already leveraged this functionality to run successfully for office and organize around issues and legislation.

Who do I contact with questions?

LEE has a staff of committed team members interested in supporting you. Please email us at contact@educationalequity.org to learn more.