On Assignment for DianeRavitch.Net: Rewriting Thomas Harkin’s Teach For America Constituent Letter
I am on assignment today. Diane Ravitch asked me to rewrite Tom Harkin’s email to a constituent that extols the virtues of TFA. I will begin with the letter that was forwarded to me that was apparently written by Harkin’s office and then follow the official letter with my rewrite.
Date: January 7, 2014 3:18:58 PM CSTTo: XXXXSubject: Reply from Senator HarkinJanuary 7, 2014Dear : XXXXThank you for taking the time to contact me. I always welcome the opportunity to hear from my fellow Iowans.Let me first apologize for the extreme delay in responding to your concerns. As you can imagine, I receive a tremendous amount of mail, and on this occasion a processing error let to a number of letters being misdirected. For that, I sincerely apologize. Now, let me turn to the concerns you raised in your letter.I was deeply sorry to hear about your daughter’s disappointing experience with Teach for America (TFA). Although TFA includes five weeks of rigorous training to prepare program participants for difficult and challenging placements, it would appear from your description of XXXX’s experience that her training was inadequate and the on-site support services in the New York region lacking.Notwithstanding XXXX’s unfortunate outcome, I have supported this program over the years as a model to address persistent socioeconomic achievement gaps in public education by recruiting highly qualified, dedicated recent graduates to teach in disadvantaged, low-income urban and rural districts. It has been my experience that the vast majority of TFA participants conclude their rotation positively, gain valuable teaching skills, and make a lasting impact on the students they teach. Indeed, recent public surveys indicate that nearly two-thirds of TFA participants remain as public school teachers beyond the two year commitment, and after five years nearly 15 percent remain at the same low-income school in which they began.Despite this, I find it invaluable to hear feedback from constituents who have had first-hand experience with federally-supported programs like TFA. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds education initiatives like TFA, please know that I will remember XXXX’s criticisms and suggestions when I consider future legislation or budget items related to this program.Again, thank you for writing to me. I hope that XXXX’s experience with TFA does not dull her passion for public service and civic engagement. Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future about any issue that concerns you.Sincerely,Tom HarkinUnited States Senator
Here is how the letter should have been crafted…
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I always welcome the opportunity to hear from my fellow Iowans. Let