How this AZ educator is helping teachers be role models for students

Lloyd Hopkins remembers what it felt like to not be seen.

He blended into the background of his class — not performing well enough to be noticed, or poorly enough to need a helping hand. Back then, he said, he was the kind of kid who could fall between the cracks.

Hopkins said his teachers didn’t necessarily have the resources to nurture him in the way they may have liked. Now 44, he’s working to get educators the support they need to be the role models he never had.

Hopkins created the Million Dollar Teacher Project in 2016 to create support systems for teachers in the Valley. The organization focuses its attention on school supply drives, teacher appreciation events and a program offering classroom aides. Million Dollar Teacher Project aims to help keep teachers doing the work they love, Hopkins said. After receiving $540,000 in COVID-19 relief funding in 2021 from the Arizona Department of Education, Hopkins said he hopes the organization will expand statewide.

“It’s not a luxury to support teachers — it’s mandatory,” he said.

Hopkins said he knew he wanted to work in education since he was in high school. He was determined to become a positive example for younger people.

He started at the Alhambra Elementary School District as a teaching assistant. But after six years, Hopkins said, long days left him drained. Hopkins eventually made the decision to leave teaching, something that weighed heavily on him.

He said it was difficult for him to see his classes move on after investing so much time into them. Hopkins eventually left the profession after one cohort he had worked with for years graduated. He said he realized he wanted to invest his time in work that focused on the big picture. That desire later lead him to create Million Dollar Teacher Project.

After stepping away from the classroom, Hopkins worked with dropout prevention programs and youth centers. It took several more years for Hopkins to eventually find his niche in the education sector.

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‘The lowest point in my life’: From losing a job to starting an organization

For Hopkins, the beginnings of the Million Dollar Teacher Project blossomed from a moment of self-doubt. After being let go from his job, Hopkins found himself unemployed for the first time since he was 16.

Faced with the unknown, he called his younger brother searching for advice.

“Great — you lost your job, now find your life,” he remembers his brother saying to him.

Hopkins describes that call as completely changing the trajectory of his life. From there, he explored his newfound freedom. He tried out scuba diving and wrote a book, titled word-for-word after the advice his brother gave him.

Hopkins applied for jobs for a while without success. But the day he published his book, he got a call from Maricopa County about what ended up being his new job, working to help young people transition from juvenile corrections. This new chapter led to him getting his undergraduate degree in nonprofit leadership and management. That's when he began planning the start of the Million Dollar Teacher Project.

“I created this organization out of fire and brimstone — out of what was really the lowest point in my life,” he said.

While in school, Hopkins renewed his love for education reform. He said he recognized that limited school funding affects marginalized communities the most.

“When systems are not operating properly, it hits Black and Brown communities the hardest,” he said.

Supporting teachers to support students

The Million Dollar Teacher Project uses three primary strategies to improve teacher retention: recognition, compensation and support. The organization's existing projects include the Million Dollar Teacher Tree, which is a supply drive for teachers, and classroom support teams that enlist the help of paid interns and volunteers to free up time for educators.

Ultimately, Hopkins' goal for the Million Dollar Teacher Project's teacher retention efforts is to help students thrive by having dedicated, appreciated educators.

With the organization's considerable increase in funding, the organization will be able to expand beyond metro Phoenix more rapidly. Right now, the Million Dollar Teacher Project has events scheduled through March 2024 at six schools in Tempe and Phoenix, according to the organization's website.

The COVID-19 relief funding will go toward supporting activities at 15 new schools in 12 new districts — 90 teachers in total, Hopkins said. He said the expansion will not be about one program alone, but rather targeting the needs of each school.

"I find it all important," Hopkins said. "Because we're a culture change organization."

On July 14, the organization hosted its second annual “Adult Field Trip” event. Guests scaled the metal and wooden playscape at the Children's Museum of Phoenix as they were invited to “act like a kid again.”

This year, Nicole Marrs of the Madrid Neighborhood School was honored in front of nearly 200 guests for her commitment to teaching. Madrid, in west Phoenix, is part of the Alhambra Elementary School District.

“It means everything to me,” she said of the event honoring educators. “You don’t see this as often as you might like.”

Last school year, a Million Dollar Teacher Project classroom support team provided her with assistance in setting up craft supplies and organizing the classroom. She said having the team meant that she was able to return home after work without additional tasks to finish.

The classroom support team is one of Rhonda Bowman’s favorite parts of the Million Dollar Teacher Project, she said. Bowman has recently taken over as vice chair of the Million Dollar Teacher Project governing board. She said she wants her work to highlight the impact of teaching.

"It touches everybody ... and everything," Bowman said.

Bowman teaches special education within the Alhambra School District. She's taught for around 11 years. She says she has always felt supported by her district, but knows that’s not the case for everyone. She’s proud to be a part of the work Hopkins started, she said, and is looking forward to the group’s planned expansion.

For Hopkins, he said he's proud to see the impact of his organization. With the expansion of the program, Hopkins said even more teachers — and students — will benefit.

“Our future is literally in today’s classroom,” he said.

Helen Rummel is a Pulliam Fellow for The Arizona Republic. She can be reached at hrummel@gannett.com or on Twitter @helenrummel.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Lloyd Hopkins hopes to expand teacher support nonprofit in Arizona