Top Graduates Line Up to Teach to the Poor

Parent Cafe
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<p>news item:</p>

<p><a href=“http://nytimes.com/2005/10/02/education/02teach.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5094&en=10fa0f89aee19226&hp&ex=1128312000&partner=homepage[/url]”>http://nytimes.com/2005/10/02/education/02teach.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5094&en=10fa0f89aee19226&hp&ex=1128312000&partner=homepage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Lucas E. Nikkel, a Dartmouth graduate, wants to be a doctor, but for now he is teaching eighth-grade chemistry at a middle school in North Carolina, one of nearly 2,200 new members of Teach for America.</p>

<p>“I’m looking at medical school, and everybody says taking time off first is a good idea,” he said. “I think I’m like a lot of people who know they want to do something meaningful before they start their careers.” </p>

<p>…</p>

<p>This year, Teach for America drew applications from 12 percent of Yale’s graduates, 11 percent of Dartmouth’s and 8 percent of Harvard’s and Princeton’s. The group also recruits for diversity, and this year got applications from 12 percent of the graduates of Spelman College, a historically black women’s college in Atlanta.</p>

<p>All told, a record 17,350 recent college graduates applied to Teach for America this year. After a drop last year, applications were up nearly 30 percent. Teach for America accepted about a third of this year’s Ivy League applicants, and about a sixth of all applications. </p>

<p>Teach for America grew out of a senior thesis by Wendy Kopp, a Princeton student, proposing a national teacher corps. Ms. Kopp quickly got seed money from Exxon Mobil, then, with a small staff, began a grass-roots recruitment campaign that yielded 500 fledgling teachers, who were placed in six regions in 1990. Teach for America has grown rapidly, with backing from corporate partners, philanthropists interested in education reform and Americorps, which provides the teachers with $9,450 after two years, to repay education loans or to pay for future schooling. Since 2001, the group has benefited from the same surge of interest that has brought record numbers of applications to long-established groups like the Peace Corps.</p>

<p>…</p>

<p>As much as anything, Teach for America is a triumph of marketing. The group, based in Manhattan, recruits on more than 500 campuses and spends about a quarter of its nearly $40 million budget on recruitment and selection. The bulk of its members come from 141 top schools where it hires students, at about $500 a semester, to help organize recruiting events and act as headhunters.</p>

<p>…</p>

<p>It has also helped, on all campuses, that Teach for America now has a track record: An evaluation last year by Mathematica Policy Research found that Teach for America members produce slightly higher math achievement and no worse English results, than other teachers. And a June 2005 evaluation by Kane Parsons & Associates found that 63 percent of the principals in the schools where they work regarded Teach for America teachers as more effective than the overall faculty.</p>

<p>However, a study of Houston student achievement released this year by Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford and others found that although Teach for America teachers performed as well as other uncertified teachers, their results did not match those of certified teachers. Teach for America officials contend that the study was flawed.</p>

<p>While most parents do not know that their children are being taught by Teach for America members, some New York City principals say, they love having Teach for America members assigned to their schools.</p>

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<p>Seems like a high % of Ivy League applicants, but what surprised me even more was that only about a third of IL applicants are accepted. They turn down 2/3 of applicants from the Ivies??</p>

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<p>Now if we can only convince them to stay in the profession. I wonder what that would take?</p>

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<p>They won’t stay. TeachforAmerica is a resume-booster. It allows grads to make a contribution to society while including it in their resume. Hitting two birds with one stone. Few will actually remain teaching when the two years pass.</p>

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<p>The only person that I know that did TeachforAmerica ( in washington DC) after graduating from Macalester- is now in graduate school to get his teaching certificate.( despite his frustrating experience- with the schools & the administration of TFA)
Americorps is similar although volunteers are not necessarily college graduates ( my daughter wasn’t) I was also suprised that while the particpants recieve a stipend- it was up to the school to pay it.
Our high school has hired 4 americore volunteers, but at a cost of $4,000 ea. The PTA is paying for it.</p>

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<p>I just did more research- cityyear- the program under the umbrella of americorps is the program that high school graduates most often participate in. Americorps does look for college graduates or at least volunteers with several years experience in the work force.</p>

<p>I don’t remember if loan forgiveness for TFA particpants was cut from the most recent budget- but some particpants have had trouble with recruitment promises being fulfilled. sure to put a damper on some volunteer recruitment
<a href=“News | U.S. Department of Education”>News | U.S. Department of Education;

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<p>I wonder if we could try some volunteer doctors, you know well meaning people with some area of expertise…just give them a prescription pad and let them go… My point is, while this is a positive thing, it also is reflective of how little people regard an education degree, at the same time they are making the people who did commit their life to education by spending their college years in education courses, jump through hoops to stay in as teachers. Of course positive outcome is desirious but I wonder how many administrators just plain appreciate the cheap labor.</p>

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<p>I imagine the principals do appreciate the work the volunteers are doing
Our schools PTA hired 4 Americorps volunteers to teach reading to students who are more than 2 grades below grade level.
Teachers in classrooms are not set up to address the needs of those students- most are immigrants although not all- and virtually none are at high school reading level- it is not appropriate for them to be in a reg classroom.
Some of these students have made amazing progress, and some look to be at grade level and in a regular classroom before they graduate.
compare the price of one teacher with a BA no add credits no experience- ( $30,431) to 4 trained volunteers ( cost to school zero)
is it any wonder that schools are welcoming this program?
plus this can be a way that more bright talented young people find the excitement of teaching- this can only be a good thing right?</p>

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<p>Personally, I think the entire Teach for America program is a disservice for students in urban, low-performing school districts. If TFA is just a resume-booster, why even offer the program when the college grads have no interest in pursuing teaching careers? Why take college grads who have no teaching experience whatsoever and place them in the classroom as an experiment on the kids? When I was in school in Detroit Public Schools, I had high-quality teachers my entire time despite the fact it’s an urban school district with many problems. I never had student volunteers who would stay for a year and move on to pursue their own endeavors. Why shortchange these students when children in more affluent, high-performing districts always have dedicated, certified teachers with expertise within their fields?</p>

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<p>The D of a good friend of mine is a TFA teacher…in New Orleans.</p>

<p>She started her second year there just before the hurricane hit. After evacuating, she returned to teach in a parish just outside of NO which had taken in a huge influx of evacuees as students. Having no place to live, she and several fellow teachers were, last I heard, living in the school.</p>

<p>Her mom is a teacher, and she had been accepted into several MAT programs in prestigious universities, which she turned down when TFA accepted her. Teaching is what she wants to do. </p>

<p>She received nothing but hostility from the other teachers at her school at first, but she poured her heart and soul into it, and was rewarded by seeing real progress in her students, which was recognized by their parents.</p>

<p>She is not there for resume-building. I can’t imagine anyone more dedicated.</p>

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<p>Garland, if your daughter has always planned to be a teacher, that’s absolutely great. I have nothing against college graduates who want to be educators.</p>

<p>It’s college grads who join TFA just to have something on their resume or delay the payment of their loans, I think are doing a real disservice.</p>

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<p>Since only 13% of applicants to TFA are accepted, I imagine students who aren’t interested in teaching are weeded out.</p>

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<p>My niece (USA today Scholar) did a three year TFA stint in California, teaching physics to low income students. She went on to med school + a masters in public health.</p>

<p>She did TFA as a ‘give back’ gesture. She didn’t need to build her resume. It was already good enough to get her into the top med school programs.</p>

<p>TFA teachers go to schools which have trouble recruiting teachers. They are not eligible for tenure but add a big dose of energy to the host schools. TFA screens for highly energetic, highly communicative, empathetic, well-adjusted grads.</p>

<p>Sorta like the Peace Corps. The healthier the mental health of my firends–the harsher the posting. Two of the hardiest ones I knew went to Yemen (one female). Two softies went to a Pacific Isalnd and reorganized the king’s library.</p>

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<p>I agree with Cheers.
TFA teachers are assigned to schools, either rural or inner-city, that have trouble recruiting teachers. They are not taking the place of more experienced ones.</p>

<p>The retention rate among all new teachers is low: 30% drop out of the profession within five years of teaching (link below). I was told that in our state, many teachers teach for 3 years and one month to get tenure then drop out. If TFA teachers drop out after 2-3 years, they are not dropping out faster than non-TFA new teachers.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.teaching-point.net/Exhibit%20A/Part%202%20-%20Out%20of%20Field%20Teaching.pdf[/url]”>http://www.teaching-point.net/Exhibit%20A/Part%202%20-%20Out%20of%20Field%20Teaching.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Another thing: It is a sad fact of life that the most inexperienced are often given the toughest classes to begin with.</p>

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<p>thats one of the complaints I have had with our district marite
the most experience teachers- are teaching the AP classes- while the brand new teachers are teaching the students that have the most challenges, the students who are in a remedial class/have learning challenges and aren’t at grade level.
I understand that one of the perks of having experience, is to get to choose which schools to teach at and which classes to teach. It is understandable taht you want to teach students who have already proven they are excelling. who wants to teach students who are having trouble learning?
Whoever they are, we need more of them.</p>

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<p>Tenisgh, I just want to make clear, that was not my D, but a friend’s daughter I was describing. </p>

<p>I agree with Cheers and Marite. The article gives not one shred of evidence that the reason these grads do this is for “resume building.” That was sheer speculation. The students I and my D have known who do this are, like was said here, giving back. They are placed in places where there are teacher shortages. The schools are not using them because they are cheaper (they’re paid the prevailing wage) but because no one wants to teach there. They are given training before and during their stints, and many leave with MATs.</p>

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<p>I want to agree and disagree with something you said. You said you didn’t think it was write for the most experienced teachers to get the AP kids. I agree with that because experience doesn’t always mean a better teacher or that they are suited to teach those kids. I have two graduate degrees in gifted education and know that gifted students have their own unique learning needs just as the lower end of special education does. In fact, both of my degrees are actually in special education since that’s where the gifted programs are usually housed. Both groups need excellent teachers who are trained for the specific characteristics and needs of those groups. Simply putting a teacher with the most years of experience in either job is not a good idea. Different teachers have different strength areas. Mine happens to be dealing with higher end learners…however, the special ed teachers at my school excel at what they do. We joke all the time because they don’t want to deal with my kids because they find them smart-alecky and hate getting bossed around by them. </p>

<p>I guess my point is that I agree that years of experience shouldn’t necessarily be what places a teacher to work with AP or not AP, but it should instead be who is best suited to work with each group of children. (For the record, one district where I used to live required all of their AP teachers to have degrees in gifted as well as their subject area.)</p>

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<p>I wonder if the local shop students wanted to volunteer or work for $4000 to help out at the local airplane factory…how many people would call them scab?</p>

<p>We need solutions that bring professional highly skilled educators into these neighborhoods. Don’t get me wrong, these kids relieving themselves of the “whitemans burden” absolutely can help some kids some of the time…but so could a college graduate help some of you with real estate closings without any professional experience or training, but would you want to trust this type of non professional with the future of your home.</p>

<p>How about a state college bio major working as your doctor…could help out some of the time maybe…</p>

<p>Teaching is a profession, we should have professional teachers paid at a salary that would attract these bright young minds to come and stay, not just play at being teachers for a while until a real career opens up.</p>

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<p>I understand that you feel threatened, and rightly so.
Parents and community members across the country are wondering where is the beef in our educational system.
Families are homeschooling, enrolling in private & parochial schools so as to have choices besides the public school system.
Our govt talks about vouchers or for profit enterprises taking over the school system.
I see principal unions, teacher unions, but where are the unions for the students?
Our districts attorneys have made semi public statements to the affect that it is cheaper to pay off lawsuits than to follow the law.
What a thing to teach our young people.
An education degree does not make a good teacher- commitment & hardwork and patience do.
My daughter has been in the public system for 8 years- I can count the good teachers she has had, on one hand.
She bears the brunt of their inexpertise, an education degree did not make them good teachers, and the system we currently have does not make them accountable.</p>

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<p>Your right B. Charity sucks. Who do those spoiled brats think they are?</p>