Pork for America
A Teach for America alum says it’s time for alumni to speak out against the organization’s political maneuvering
When Teach for America scored alast-minute language change in the recent debt deal—and a huge windfall—not everyone was surprised. TFA alum Kristoffer Kohl has been keeping a close eye on the organization’s extensive lobbying effort and its seemingly insatiable appetite for government pork. Now Kohl is urging other alumni to join him in speaking out against such wheeling and dealing, arguing that TFA is more concerned with championing itself than the students it claims to serve.
EduShyster: Break it down for us—how exactly does TFA benefit from the provision that was inserted into the debt deal at the eleventh hour?
Kristoffer Kohl: Basically in 2010 the definition of highly qualified was expanded to include teachers in training programs, including Teach for America. It was set to expire at