We Believe Teaching
Shouldn't Feel Like Survival
We're on a mission to build a system that actually supports the educators inside it.
87K+
educators in our community
Improved Retention
Administrators report stronger morale,
greater trust, and improved retention
after TDI Support Sessions
95%
of teachers saved planning time
How It Started
Teachers Deserve It was born from burnout.
We all knew the feeling... Walking into another teacher institute day (or teacher work day) and you're greeted with donuts. As you settle into the auditorium for sessions, you're not surprised to see a full agenda, with limited breaks, and a 45-minute lunch. The topics? Ones that have nothing to do with what you actually needed in your classrooms. Hours of "someday you'll use this" and "you'll need time for outside planning."
None of it helped us be better for our students on Monday.
That system was not built with teachers in mind. TDI was - with teachers at its core, in every decision we make, building a movement that's changing education from the inside out.
School leaders noticed too. Principals started asking: how do we bring this to our whole building? How do we keep our best teachers from leaving?
Meet the Founder

Rae Hughart
CEO & Founder
Rae Hughart is an award-winning educator, internationally recognized speaker, and bestselling author dedicated to transforming how we support teachers.
After experiencing burnout firsthand, she founded Teachers Deserve It to create sustainable professional development that respects educators' time while delivering real results.
Watch Rae's Story
TEDx Talk: Why Teachers Deserve Better
This talk has inspired thousands of educators to rethink professional development.
The Story Behind Our Symbol
When I was teaching 6th grade, I ran a mastery learning classroom. Thirty-six students working through content at their own pace, all active at the same time. I needed a fast way to check off their work. To initial that I'd seen it, that they were good to move on.
So I'd scribble a quick lowercase h. Hughart. My last name, fast and messy, on paper after paper after paper.
Year over year, it got messier. The h barely looked like a letter anymore. But my students always knew exactly what it was. That little scribble meant I see you. You got it. Keep going.
It showed up everywhere. On their progress checks, their accomplishments, their big moments and their small ones. Not a grade. Not a checkmark. Just a quick, human sign-off that said I was paying attention and I wasn't going anywhere.
That's where our symbol comes from. My messy, real, teacher shorthand with a circle swept around it. One continuous stroke that never lifts off the paper. The circle is the part that says I've got you. I circled back. The way a teacher wraps care around a student without making a big deal about it.
One stroke says two things: I see you. I've got you.
You'll notice this mark when you enter our portals. The Creators Studio, the Leadership Dashboard, the Learning Hub. A line enters the screen, forms the mark, holds for just a moment, then unravels and carries you in. It was always just one line passing through. The same line that wrote "I see you" becomes the line that takes you where you need to go.
That felt right for what we do. We're not here to sit on a shelf. We're here to move through your practice and leave something behind that matters.
The TDI Blueprint
Respect Teachers' Time
PD that fits into real life, not consumes it
Deliver Real Strategies
Practical tools that work Monday morning
Prioritize Wellness
Sustainable teaching starts with supported teachers
Measure What Matters
Real impact, not just attendance sheets
Built for District Success:
We stand behind our work with a 30-day turnaround guarantee on custom requests for partner schools.
Our Impact So Far
87,000+
Educators in Our Community
21
States with Partner Schools
65%
Implementation Rate
vs. 10% industry average
4.8/5
Average Course Rating
The industry average for PD classroom transfer is just 5-10% (Joyce & Showers, 2002).
Our partners average 65% because TDI is built for Monday morning, not "someday."
The Team That Makes It Possible
A passionate group of educators, strategists, and creatives
committed to transforming professional development.
Kristin Williams
Chief Marketing Officer
Shapes the voice and visibility of TDI, turning eight years of cross-industry marketing expertise into meaningful connections with educators nationwide.
Omar Garcia
Chief Financial Officer
Drives financial strategy and operational systems that allow TDI to scale sustainably while delivering measurable ROI for every partner district.
Rachel Patragas
Director of Creative Solutions
Jim Ford
Business Development Coordinator
Olivia Smith
Executive Communication Coordinator
Content Creators and Contributors
The educators in our community share something.
They're done pretending burnout is a badge of honor. They're practical optimists who believe there's a smarter way to do this work. They're still here because they still believe in teaching. They just refuse to destroy themselves doing it.
Ready to See What TDI Can Do for You?
Whether you're a teacher looking for strategies that actually work, or a leader who wants PD your team will thank you for, we're here to help.