Teach for America (or Britain, Haiti, Lithuania...)

Teacher Recruitment, High-fliers in the Classroom.

The Economist. February 14th, 2015.

http://www.economist.com/news/international/21643146-programmes-place-bright-and-ambitious-graduates-poor-schools-are-spreading-around

Key Points:

• The article asserts that problems in education are, at least in part, a result of the low-caliber of teacher recruits
• Teach for America is lauded as a solution, with discussion given to similar international organizations.
• Statistics provided in support: %50-%70 of TFA (and similar) participants stay in education after their two-year commitment.

Intended Audience:

• The regular readership of this broad spectrum magazine devoted to free trade, laissez faire government, and the dismal science.  

Relevance:

• With high likelihood of encountering teachers, administrators, and policy makers who began in TFA it is beneficial to understand a perspective in support of the program.
• I am curious about teacher education abroad, and certainly open to “copy-cat” models in countries with severe education needs.
• This particular perspective is problematic to the degree that it portrays these “high-fliers” as heroes who are the only hope for otherwise hopeless masses. Ivy-league success does not a culturally-competent public servant make.  

Our 'Chance to Make History'

“TFA: Our ‘Chance to Make History’” by Wendy Kopp
Education Week, March 14, 2011

Topic: Commentary piece on Teach for America

Summary: This article, written by the founder and CEO of Teach For America provides a more “touchy-feely” overview of the program. It gets at TFA’s goals and aspirations that the education system can be changed to eliminate the achievement gap. It also focuses on TFA’s basic idea that all students, regardless of race, background, socioeconomic status, etc. have the same potential to learn and go to college.

Intended audience: Teachers, general public

Key Points:

• TFA has been around for 20 years.
• Corps members are diverse (32% are people of color and 28% are from low-income backgrounds)
• TFA is highly selective (5000 corps members chosen from 40,000 applicants last year)
• TFA helps give children in rural and urban areas the opportunity to fulfill their true potential.

Relevance: Interesting article. We have talked a little about TFA and I am personally interested, as my brother is a corps member. As the article is a commentary piece by TFA’s CEO/Founder, it is fairly one sided. It does not touch on any of the criticisms of TFA (Corps members lack the training of a more traditional teacher education program, members often do not stick with teaching after the two year commitment, etc.)

An Inside View of Teach for America

"Do I Really Teach for America? Reflections of a Teach for America Teacher" by Alex Diamond

Rethinking Schools, Spring 2010

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/24_03/24_03_tfadiamond.shtml

Summary: Diamond is a current participant in the TFA program, which sends fresh college graduates primarily to struggling school districts for two years. He is nearing the end of his second year and uses this article as an opportunity to reflect on the successes (student achievement, gaining valuable experience as a potential future teacher) and failures (TFA's focus on primarily test-based and "objective" evaluation of students; the majority of TFA participants being privileged, white college graduates) of the program as he sees them.

Intended Audience: anyone interested in a close-up of the TFA program

Key Points:

• Teach for America has laudable goals and succeeds at a number of them, while failing to fulfill its stated mission in other areas
• As a teacher preparation program, it has been fairly successful for the author of this article-- possibly at the expense of his students, who are already in often teacher-impoverished districts (high turnover, etc.)

Relevance: I have heard a lot of things about TFA, most of them negative. I feel like this article gives the program its fair due; Diamond criticizes its flaws, points out its successes, and offers a suggestion for the future. In addition, articles like this "from the inside" are always valuable for elucidating programs about which we may only have a broad view.