Teach For America

Hi, I've been lurking around here for a little while, and know that you guys sometimes talk about education. I was wondering what you thought about Teach For America

TFA is a group that is trying to fix the education problems in America by sending really smart, educated college graduates (from places like Georgetown) to crappy schools (instead of regular teachers, who come from places like Ball St). The teachers work for two years, and then get a sweet deal to go work for JPMorgan, OR go to an awesome medical/law/MBA program!!!

I'm applying for this program in a few weeks. Personally, I know a lot of kids that I went to high school with that are becoming regular teachers, and they're SUPER DUMB. Maybe we could fix the whole problem by just bringing in smarter people! If I get in, I'm sure I'll be able to help my kids by making their parents understand the value of education, and getting them off the crack, once they see how happy and successful I am!!

Some people don't like TFA, but I think thats because they aren't smart enough to get in LOL

what do you think?

Downtown is in TFA so that means it's awesome by association.

It's a great program.

I've no problem with volunteer socialism (TFA, military, etc). It's when they come to my door with a gun demanding my money that I balk.

Traffic_Kopp said:

Some people don't like TFA, but I think thats because they aren't smart enough to get in LOL

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I feel sorry for today's youth.

I know a few guys who are in it. They're teachers working for Teach for America along with others around the city New Orleans and West Bank. I don't know much about it, nor care enough to think anything about it, but I've heard all they care about is the bottom line. There's a chance you may or may not have to rough it. Also, according to one of my friends who teaches in the West bank, the students are "terrible" and "I hate this job."

Traffic_Kopp said:

Hi, I've been lurking around here for a little while, and know that you guys sometimes talk about education. I was wondering what you thought about Teach For America

TFA is a group that is trying to fix the education problems in America by sending really smart, educated college graduates (from places like Georgetown) to crappy schools (instead of regular teachers, who come from places like Ball St). The teachers work for two years, and then get a sweet deal to go work for JPMorgan, OR go to an awesome medical/law/MBA program!!!

I'm applying for this program in a few weeks. Personally, I know a lot of kids that I went to high school with that are becoming regular teachers, and they're SUPER DUMB. Maybe we could fix the whole problem by just bringing in smarter people! If I get in, I'm sure I'll be able to help my kids by making their parents understand the value of education, and getting them off the crack, once they see how happy and successful I am!!

Some people don't like TFA, but I think thats because they aren't smart enough to get in LOL

what do you think?

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You were doing well until you revealed your bigoted view of the poor, ie." getting them off the crack". I don't really those sort of ideas are wanted by such an organisation.

But yeah, sounds like a plan.

Sounds like nothing but a stepping stone for the teachers.

I suggest you hurry up; the application deadline is tomorrow.

***

I've known people who have either done this, been involved with the program, or are applying, and I've got lots of respect for all of them.

Labtec600 said:

Sounds like nothing but a stepping stone for the teachers.

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which is a bad thing... why?

Never heard of it before now but it seems like a great program.

Perfection said:

Downtown is in TFA ...

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This doesn't' hurt either

scherbchen said:

which is a bad thing... why?

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It might be a stepping stone for great teachers who want to experience a difficult situation before going on to posh suburb highschool land.

But it's not a stepping stone for teachers in general. That would be an associates degree.

It's a gold star for teachers.

Traffic_Kopp said:

Hi, I've been lurking around here for a little while, and know that you guys sometimes talk about education. I was wondering what you thought about Teach For America

TFA is a group that is trying to fix the education problems in America by sending really smart, educated college graduates (from places like Georgetown) to crappy schools (instead of regular teachers, who come from places like Ball St). The teachers work for two years, and then get a sweet deal to go work for JPMorgan, OR go to an awesome medical/law/MBA program!!!

I'm applying for this program in a few weeks. Personally, I know a lot of kids that I went to high school with that are becoming regular teachers, and they're SUPER DUMB. Maybe we could fix the whole problem by just bringing in smarter people! If I get in, I'm sure I'll be able to help my kids by making their parents understand the value of education, and getting them off the crack, once they see how happy and successful I am!!

Some people don't like TFA, but I think thats because they aren't smart enough to get in LOL

what do you think?

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Oh the irony. Please tell me this post is a clever joke? (The relative merits of TFA aside).

LOL those SUPER DUMB Ball St. grads, they are such loosers WTH no kidding man lets get rid of them and replace all teachers with super smart dudes like me and you right! LOL OMG

Pretty sure the entire OP is a sarcastic joke (deadline being tomorrow and all that); however for myself I approve of the program. Coincidentally, I was really reading about this on my own very recently, they've got a recruiting group/chapter or some equivalent at my university. Also, I know a couple people from my high school class who plan on becoming teachers already (it'll be a few years before we're graduating college of course, TFA only takes those with degrees; in short I don't think they're interested in it as far as just going the "regular" way).

So I can say TFA does sound interesting and at the same time I'd like to know more about their process (general site/videos say little). It's great to hear that downtown ,and perhaps others here are working with them, I'd love to hear more. Honestly I'd never think myself good working with young kids (and I get the impression that's the majority of what they do, as opposed to say high school age) though they, like everywhere in the US it seems, looking for lots of math/science/technical majors.

The most curious statistic I've seen (of course they say that their program produces better teachers/results compared to a non-TFA classroom, but that's not the stat I mean) is that about 2/3 of their people stick with education careers. At the same time though, they only admit a couple thousand out of something like 25k people each year; I wonder if all these others still pursue education? I would think TFA might suffer from the same problem that education in general does; a teacher's salary (as they say, ranging from $27,000 to $47,000 in various places across the country) is still a lot less than what their college-graduate "alumni" could make elsewhere. However a lot of the US is still sorely in need of good teachers, so it's a nice program and once again I'd be happy to hear a bit more from those who know it better.

I would think TFA might suffer from the same problem that education in general does; a teacher's salary (as they say, ranging from $27,000 to $47,000 in various places across the country) is still a lot less than what their college-graduate "alumni" could make elsewhere.

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I call the program volunteer socialism because these top-shelf teachers could make alot more money elsewhere.

Noone goes to TFA for the big bucks. They go for four reasons (in various proportions):

1) Resume, politically especially
2) To give back to their community
3) To challenge themselves
4) To make a difference

Right, but that's one of the criticisms of the programs I've heard - the teachers don't stick around. A chunk of them are gone right at 2 years - and they don't have stats for what really happens after that. Just something I'd be glad to learn more about.

Or, perhaps I should better say that I don't see this as a problem with the program at all, but it's folly to look at TFA and think "oh, some volunteers are going to take care of education in poor communities, we'll just leave it to them." TFA is a drop in the bucket compared to our education system as a whole, so the question is, if we want reform, do we follow their methodologies on a larger scale (for more teachers) or keep doing something else. I'm under the impression that it's still a big question, overall, whether it's best to seek out career, "education-major teachers," or find teachers with more specialized abilities. The US currently has little to no investment in the latter (for those who might not be so familiar, though, this is one of many things that differs between states and school districts, our education isn't uniformly nationalized). And TFA can't do this for the whole nation, that would require other major reform.

Edit: saw your edit, again I have no real criticisms for TFA, but as the OP suggested (however poorly) something to discuss is whether we want larger, national reform/programs in this direction. TFA teachers can't be expected to stay around in education forever, it's already recognized that's not what they are for. Basically, what to do about all the other classrooms in these same communities without a TFA person, how do we improve quality for them too, because there are not enough TFA to go around...

Earthling said:

Pretty sure the entire OP is a sarcastic joke (deadline being tomorrow and all that);

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Well, this application deadline is today, but there is another one after this.

The others are correct, I am involved in Teach For America. I've worked as a campus recruiter, at a Summer Institute, and next year, I will join the Teaching Corps in Greater New Orleans. I will be happy to answer any questions any of you might have about the program, including its flaws.

But for now, I seriously have to go to class. I'm tackling this OP later.

I suspect a highly educated high school teacher is going encourage youth to take the path to University. What benefit does this have in an area where most youth are not suited for that career path?

I think that the volunteerism of the teachers is admirable (even if there are rewards at the end it's still an abhorrent deal). However, I also think that the "beneficial outcome" as far as it pertains to the students in those areas, will likely be near zero. "Insufficiently good teachers" was seldomly the problem with inner city schools, while "insufficiently good students" almost always is.

Perfection said:

Downtown is in TFA so that means it's awesome by association.

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So is my sister, so by very virtue of being associated with my bloodline, it is beyond awesome, it is beyond awesome, it is divine.

Traffic_Kopp said:

what do you think?

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Traffic, I think that you need to reread TFA's mission again. With that attitude, no matter what your GPA is, or where you went to school, you aren't getting in. We value all who are engaged in this work...and I saw quite a bit of Yalies crash and burn at Institute last year.

By the way, I'm a corps member, and I went to Ohio State.

Perfection said:

Downtown is in TFA so that means it's awesome by association.

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Damn right.

QuoVadisNation said:

I know a few guys who are in it. They're teachers working for Teach for America along with others around the city New Orleans and West Bank. I don't know much about it, nor care enough to think anything about it, but I've heard all they care about is the bottom line. There's a chance you may or may not have to rough it. Also, according to one of my friends who teaches in the West bank, the students are "terrible" and "I hate this job."

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Ha lovely, thats where I'm teaching. They *are* a very data driven organization, thats true.

Labtec600 said:

Sounds like nothing but a stepping stone for the teachers.

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Not at all. TFA isn't drawing from the same applicant pool. Most corps members, after their contract expires, do not remain teachers (although many remain involved in education). I have no intention of stepping to another teaching job, unless you meant something else by "stepping stone"?

Earthling said:

So I can say TFA does sound interesting and at the same time I'd like to know more about their process (general site/videos say little).

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What would you like to know?

Honestly I'd never think myself good working with young kids (and I get the impression that's the majority of what they do, as opposed to say high school age) though they, like everywhere in the US it seems, looking for lots of math/science/technical majors.

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Well, we work with everybody, K-12. I had applied to teach High school Govt actually, but was placed in elementary school because of the high need in my region. Off the top of my head, I know more high school TFA corps members than K-6 ones, but that doesn't mean its like that nationwide. We teach in 29 areas right now (and growing every year...and not all of them are urban areas. Several are very rural)

Mandeville said:

I suspect a highly educated high school teacher is going encourage youth to take the path to University. What benefit does this have in an area where most youth are not suited for that career path?

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I think we greatly err in writing off a lot of these kids as not suited to college, considering the handicaps we put on them.

At any rate, our major goal is to get these kids back up to grade level, and help them achieve their full potential. If they come into my 3rd grade class reading at a 1st grade level, my goal is to get them reading at a 4th grade level next year. We can worry about college when we get closer. (cause you ain't going to college if you can't read)

nihilistic said:

I think that the volunteerism of the teachers is admirable (even if there are rewards at the end it's still an abhorrent deal). However, I also think that the "beneficial outcome" as far as it pertains to the students in those areas, will likely be near zero. "Insufficiently good teachers" was seldomly the problem with inner city schools, while "insufficiently good students" almost always is.

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Well, we're already seeing improvement with kids from TFA classrooms. Its not on a national scale, because its only recently been a really big program...but as more TFA Alumni move into district leadership slots (Super of DC schools, schoolboards across the country), the hope is that we'll see more reforms.

I also don't really know how you can make a claim about students being insufficiently good before 5th grade anyways. Elementary kids are just kids.