More thoughts on Teach for America. Questions for promoters of current education reform.
Again, Valerie Strauss brings in strong voices of reason in yesterday's post on Teach for America.
TFA held a big conference in D.C. over the weekend, with young recruits and "alumni" in attendance. Looking over the agenda, I saw lots of private-sector (for-profit and non-profit) speakers and various "provocative" or "inspirational" panelists discussing a range of issues. The conference's twitter feed was a combination of star-gazing, "Is that Michelle Rhee wearing high heels?....I just saw Wendy Kopp (TFA founder) at so-and-so Bar!"... and spicy quotes from speakers such as Geoffrey Canada (founder of Harlem Children's Zone & Promise Academy Charter Schools), "we're in a battle and we need an army." It revived concerns that I have held for quite awhile.
When I was on the school board in Orlando, I looked into bringing Teach for America to our school district. While
TFA held a big conference in D.C. over the weekend, with young recruits and "alumni" in attendance. Looking over the agenda, I saw lots of private-sector (for-profit and non-profit) speakers and various "provocative" or "inspirational" panelists discussing a range of issues. The conference's twitter feed was a combination of star-gazing, "Is that Michelle Rhee wearing high heels?....I just saw Wendy Kopp (TFA founder) at so-and-so Bar!"... and spicy quotes from speakers such as Geoffrey Canada (founder of Harlem Children's Zone & Promise Academy Charter Schools), "we're in a battle and we need an army." It revived concerns that I have held for quite awhile.
When I was on the school board in Orlando, I looked into bringing Teach for America to our school district. While
