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Friday, September 14, 2012

An Urban Teacher's Education: Renton School Board Unanimously Approves TFA

An Urban Teacher's Education: Renton School Board Unanimously Approves TFA:


Renton School Board Unanimously Approves TFA

After hearing nearly an hour of public testimony, the Renton School Board voted on an agreement to bring Teach for America to the Renton School District (oddly, after one had already been hired).

The board room was packed with educators wearing red. Every commenter (teachers, community members, and business leaders) spoke about TFA. And every commenter spoke against it.

Amy Hepburn asked the board a simple question: "Who are the students and parents in your district who will have a teacher with five weeks of training in front of them?

Julianna Dauble (a Renton teacher) called TFA a tragic distraction from the real issues facing the district.

Becca Ritchie laid out the interests and goals of the corporate reform movement, and explained why TFA, as a