<p>Here’s an Op Ed piece by David Gergen on Teach for America that puts into context the contributions of graduates from top schools. One bit of information:
60% of TFA participants stay in the teaching profession, many others remain involved in work helping low SES populations. </p>
<p>Thanks for posting this, Marite. I’ve bumped up the old thread in the hopes that some of those who posted there will read this article. I’m a big fan of David Gergen and I’m glad he wrote this column.</p>
<p>My mother taught for 22 years (moved up to the administrator level this year) as a special educatin teacher. My older sister was an art education major before switching to marketing. If anything, teaching is one of the most underappreciated careers out there. Maybe no one is my family has an elite degree, but it’s nice to see some with elite degrees are going into teaching.</p>
<p>It is a great publicity piece. And I hope it attracts more students from top colleges, with better SATs than the majority of students who go to teachers ed schools, into teaching. Mr. B. don’t you want more well-educated young people joining your ranks? Don’t you like it that 60% of TFA teachers stay in the profession? Or do you think there are enough teachers out there, thank you?
What exactly is your gripe?</p>
<h1>6 Garland, I believe it is a publicity piece because it is based entirely on information provided by or through the organization it is about. The article has great similarities with other pieces published earlier this month by a number of sources, which indicates to me that it was sent out to them either as a formal press release or more likely in the form of an information package with a contact sheet. I think it was also on NPR during the first week of October.</h1>
<p>Press release doesn’t mean it is bad, although it might be one-sided information. I don’t have a gripe with this organization’s intent, I think to have smart educated people teaching in public school classrooms is good. I would like education programs to be more rigorous for that reason. What I don’t want is, people to think that because 60% of a very small number stay in teaching from this program that there is not a major problem out there. What % of Ivy quality graduates go into Law, Medicine, Engineering, Business/economics compared to Public School Classroom teaching? That would be a more relevant statistic.</p>
<p>I understand that to attract more people into the teaching profession, the salaries, benefits and professional responsibilities be significant enough to attract teachers, and the respect for teachers to be significant enough to encourage them to stay. I am not sure that having people working for a lesser salary or grant and an outside the district budget signing bonus or scholarship opportunity is the way to convince districts to pay better. I would expect a principal who gets free staffing to say nothing but good things about them, so I am skeptical about some of this organization’s surveys. Does “stayed in education” mean teach in a public school to you, because they may be working for a publisher, a private school, or at a college? </p>
<p>This is a nice program but it is not the solution.</p>
<p>I guess what I don’t get is why these teachers are being lauded because they’ve decided to give teaching a try after graduation compared to students that start off with that intent. In PA schools you must have a 3.2 gpa to be admitted into the education program after freshman year and then you must pass standarized tests at different points in the college career and another one before graduation to become certified in the state.</p>
<p>My daughter (3.7 gpa) will have completed about 20 weeks of student teaching and graduate with a double major in education and sociology. For her teaching is her goal with the intent to change the system and make it better then the one she went through. I’m guessing that that is why most students go into an education major - not because they are slackers.</p>
<p>Nobody says that TFA is the solution. But for a lot of understaffed schools in inner cities or rural areas, it is the only solution available. Don’t knock it. And since they teach in underserved areas, I doubt they are dragging union wages down.</p>
<p>I have raved about my daughters soccer coach before- great guy- wonderful with kids- very positive and supportive.</p>
<p>He has been a member of the school board and has been a trial attorney as well as being involved with teaching students about the law and instructing teachers on how to incorporate legal issues into the classroom.
I was delighted to hear that he is going back to school to recieve his principals certification- he is making a wonderful addition to the educational community.</p>
<p>I see more and more people my age, ( mmphm) going back to school to recieve teacher or principal certification after spending 20 or so years in other fields- they are some of the greatest teachers- they have in depth experience outside of the educationese world of the NEA, and they are there because they get a charge out of teaching- unlike some of their peers who have always been in teaching, but are now just waiting till optimum time to retire.</p>
<p>More career switching should be encouraged, I haven’t seen that income is necessarily a deterrent- job security and vacation time in a time when many with "lifelong " careers have been laid off- forced to retire- after working 60 hour weeks for a company with no loyalty, makes working with young people, having a schedule that is more suited to family life, very appealing.</p>
<p>Emeraldkity4, I was wondering if your friend had been a classroom teacher before? Usually admin programs require at least 2 years as a classroom teacher. Would you want to work for a person who had no idea what being in the classroom was like? </p>
<p>OTOH, I really support teaching as a second career. We wouldn’t have the lifestyle we now have had we both taught right out of school. H retired from the Navy, so we now have that pension plus our two teaching incomes and a small business. I couldn’t imagine raising a family on our pay. A colleague who has been teaching for 10 years actually qualifies for free and reduced lunch for his children. Hmmm. </p>
<p>The experience my husband brings to the classroom is undeniably valuable. He has managed and trained young people in the Navy, served as a recruiter, and traveled extensively. He speaks with authority on the subjects he teaches, and the kids and parents have a great deal of respect for him. It is a win/win to come into teaching with this life experience.</p>
<p>I also stopped to think about the 5 principals who have been in charge of Ds public school for the last 8 years, three of them did have classroom experience.
Two had been PE instructors, and the most successful principal has taught band while she was a vice principal ( getting her principal certification).
going around the district, several principals and district administrators have either been PE instructors/coaches, or band instructors. Must be something about those classrooms that leads teachers to develop skills that they can take to a higher level</p>
<p>which brings me back to Steves coaching skills
Many of us parents on the sidelines have commented on taping him and replaying it back throughout our day.
He is so positive- even in stressful situations- guides the girls so that they are “self coaching” which takes a lot of skill and patience, and his comments are always positive and on target- plus he has a loud boomy voice which works in the classroom and on the sports field :)</p>
<p>marite: In economics, I learned that if not enough qualified people are coming into an industry then pay and benefits should be raised to attract them, and unneccesary barriers to entry should be reduced to encourage access for qualified workers. Accordingly, I would suggest if we want qualified teachers in these districts we should surrender to the market demands.</p>
<p>This post encouraged me to look for independent reviews of the program and I am currently reading this one:
Among other things it says that in a different study, the TFA program has been compared to other non-certified teacher programs and come out ahead. That study done in Texas, was criticized for not comparing the results to those of certified teachers noting that some of the other non-certified teachers didn’t have college diplomas. It also says:
</p>
<p>Another article I read said that 80% of a staff of a DC charter school run by an alumnus of TFA is TFA. I found that interesting, Don’t you?
I guess, I want to make sure a more global change occurs to improve education, so what I see as success relates to what I see that will encourage a global shift.</p>
<p>As you know, most studies suggest the most common correlation between teacher and success is experience. I think studies should be done to compare the experiences of other professions and teaching as a second profession. While I am not concerned that my years of experience before teaching is not included in my salary scale, I wonder if it discourages others from switching careers and if it could be addressed nationally, perhaps with a tax credit. Some ex military people do very well because they have learned self discipline and have worked with a variety of people.</p>
<p>I see that states & federal often seem to not fully fund education, and the lack of funding for updated/safe buildings/school supplies/ textbooks and lab equipment has got to affect the teaching and those who are attracted to the profession. Our district doesn’t even have safe water in the buildings to drink- even in buildings that are less than 10 years old ( which most are not- the building where my daughter attends school, was old when my mother was a student there)</p>
<p>even though our district recently gave teachers such a pay increase, that cutbacks had to be made in other budget areas, things like high school math curriculm has not been looked at for almost 20 years.
I can see not wanting to change something because it is working- but when it isn’t?</p>
<p>Sorry if I got off track
The education system in this country is not working for a great many people- and throwing money at it isn’t helping-
If programs like TFA get motivated staff in schools where angels fear to tread, that should be applauded.
I know unions have their place- but I wonder if programs like colorado ProComp can be successful in other areas.
(where teachers are rewarded when their students show progress, something that was poohpooed at the onset of the study, but when it showed results it is now being put to a public vote.</p>