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DKG Practice/Program

Is There One Word Synonymous with DKG?

Make it SEE!

By Carol LaPolice

The need to support early-career educators (captured in DKG’s international project called SEE) is critical.
The steady loss of early-career educators and a teacher shortage have been publicized for some time. So,
what are the needs of early educators? This is the type of question that I believe DKG should be addressing
as a priority. Why should DKG be addressing this problem? We are a professional organization, and
our mission is to promote the professional and personal growth of women educators and educational
excellence. We are unique in that we do not focus on a single subject area but on the overall needs of
educators and education. In my opinion, we do a very good job of achieving our mission for our members
through scholarships, workshops, and conference opportunities. However, a more concentrated focus
should be that of the early-career educator—whether she is a member or not.
Members chose SEE as a second international project at the 2012 International Convention. Currently,
many chapters in the United States have projects that come under the SEE category. Perhaps entire state
organizations do similar projects. An explanation of SEE is included in the recently updated Go-To-Guide,
now called The Handbook of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society 2023 (DKG, 2023a, p. 8).
Is there one project that the general public or educators immediately associate with “DKG”? I propose
each state organization encourage its chapters to consider implementing the project shared in this article.
This would help us to fulfill our mission to support professional growth, particularly for early-career
educators, and create an identifier for DKG at the same time.
The Impact of Support for an Early-Career Educator

SEE is of particular interest to me for several reasons. As reported in the recent Avenue M study,
members give many reasons for joining DKG. One of the top reasons is wanting to give back. My goal
as a high school graduate was to attend college (the first of my family) and become an educator. I applied
for and received a few scholarships from area service organizations and was grateful for the assistance in
pursuing my dream. Although I did not become an educator immediately after college, I went on to get a
master’s degree in education and achieved that goal. I became an educator and taught 5th grade in a city
elementary school. I had goals for my students, including field trips and enriched curriculum, opportunities
many could not experience. How did I attain my goals for the
students with a lack of funds?
My first endeavor was to help students go on a field trip
to Mystic Seaport and the Mystic Aquarium. We did not have
school funding for the trip, and the cost would have been a
financial burden for many families. I decided I would try to
teach math skills through a small, classroom-operated school
store with profits to help offset the cost of the trip. Junior
Achievement provided the business training for the students
and, with a small loan from a supportive principal, we were
in business! Yes, we did meet our financial goals and enjoyed
a wonderful experience at the end of the school year. The
students could count back change with proficiency, a skill
we see lacking today that many elementary teachers lament!
So, as an early-career educator, I had the support of the

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