Kory's Story | The Teacher Salary Project

August 17, 2015

Ninive Calegari

Co-Founder of 826 National

The pinnacle of a teacher's career is to change students' lives by empowering them with knowledge and life skills. What if a teacher who pours into their students' lives full-time isn't being nurtured themselves? This is the reality of San Francisco teacher Kory O'Rourke's and many other teachers' careers in the United States and around the world. Former teacher and speaker, Ninive Calgary has been fighting to shed light on how extremely underpaid and undervalued most teachers are. This 826 National and 826 Valencia co-founder is also founder and CEO of The Teacher Salary Project with a stellar TEDx Talk (The Importance of Teachers) under her belt. Her advocacy for an increase in teacher pay continues through the director debut of her eye-opening short film Kory's Story:

"As we take this film from city to city, I often think about all those boxes of lesson plans stashed in my basement. I’m still in touch with many of my former students, but I miss the challenges and excitement unique to being in charge of a classroom of young people. I know many of my old colleagues feel the same way. For all of them, and especially for all the recent graduates currently considering the profession, I hope this film helps build support for vital change. Our kids and our country deserve the most talented, dedicated teachers available who can stay and thrive in the profession—and those teachers deserve our respect and fair pay."

-Filmmaker Statement from Ninive Calegari