Teach for America Features Alumni Who Overwhelmingly Exit the Classroom
On its website, teacher-temp org, Teach for America (TFA), states that “many” of its alumni (those who complete two years in the classroom) “continue teaching”:
Teach For America recruits outstanding and diverse leaders to become TFA “corps members.” Corps members commit to teaching for two years in a low-income community, where they’re employed by local schools and confront both the challenges and joys of expanding opportunities for kids.After two years, they become part of the TFA alumni network. Informed and inspired by their students, many continue teaching; others pursue other leadership roles in schools and school systems or launch careers in other fields that shape educational access and opportunity.
The 2019 version of TFA’s “many stay in the classroom” statement has been toned down over the years, ostensibly to deflect attention from the fact that “many” is not most, which means that employing TFAers leads to endless teacher churn. Consider this September 2015 version of TFA’s “many” message– and note that TFA has since dropped any hint of lack of commitment that produces instability in schools via the “others leave” point:
Our people– diverse and passionate– start in low-income classrooms, where the stakes are highest. We help them become teachers who can dramatically expand students’ opportunities. But our teachers don’t just teach students, they learn from them.They gain a better understanding of the problems and the opportunities in our education system and use those lessons to define their paths forward. Many stay in the classroom. Others leave. Both paths matter CONTINUE READING: Teach for America Features Alumni Who Overwhelmingly Exit the Classroom | deutsch29
