This is an interesting article by a Columbia student, explaining why he will not join TFA.
It is especially interesting because he is a former president of his campus Students for Educational Reform, the nicely-funded baby brother (or sister) of the Wall Street guys’ DFER.
Whenever he gets a letter pleading with him to apply for a “transformational” experience, he sends it to his spam folder.*
Why, because he went to a public school in Texas and he can still remember the names of the dedicated career teachers who inspired him.
He is also concerned that TFA is sending young white kids to replace black teachers. He notes a study (which I have not seen ) that says that three-quarters of the charter teachers are white.
In Chicago and New York City (and he doesn’t know this), there has been a sharp decline in the proportion of black and Hispanic teachers during the past decade of “reform.” Not all because of TFA, to be sure, but because those in charge don’t care.
;
*Note from Diane to Wendy Kopp: Please stop using the word “transform,” “transformational,” “transformative,” etc. I read your last book and checked the word every time it appeared. It appears dozens of times. Really, you need to find a new word.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Also from the Harvard Crimson:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/2/11/rethinking-teach-for-america/
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TFA’s dedication to Ivy league and top schools, particularly those who are white is saddening. Growing up in East Saint Louis, I had my fair share of good/band teachers, but most if not all of my teachers were career tract teachers, not those using children as their stepping stool to something else. I read your book, The Death and Life of the Great American School and believe that your reference to Mrs. Ratliff, an English teacher, reigns true for most of us, even those who went to school in the late 80s and 90s.
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TFA should make a real commitment to education by recruiting bright high school seniors to actually major in education and become professional teachers who are willing to dedicate their careers to working with students.
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A lot of charters do have mostly white teachers. One of the reasons why is that many of the minority teachers go to work in largely minority public districts. They have better pay and benefits.
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Except in cities like Chicago where they are slowly closing the neighborhood schools. The minority teachers are losing their jobs to young white charter school teachers. Now, I’m an old white lady who knows that is wrong. I so want to teach, but even if they would let me, it will not be in a charter school that has forced the closing of a neighborhood school.
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Those high-minority school districts are precisely where the charters are opening, and experienced black teachers are losing their jobs to young white teachers who are inexperienced and plan to leave in two years.
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There is an article by a lady named Linda C. Tillman in Education and Urban Society. She has studied the effects of Brown v. The Board on African American educators. She says that there have been several factors leading to the decline in minority teachers including standardized tests which we all know can be biased. (When we were in school, we were told to think like white people and we will pass.).
I am hurt to read that the already low number of minority teachers is taking a sharp decline. We are homogenizing the teachers (in age, gender, and ethnicity) and the curriculum and calling it innovation! I would think that creativity would dwindle in such an environment, it we want critical thinking. What gives?
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I got a chuckle from your note to Wendy Koop at the bottom of your post. even rheeform can give us a laugh once in a while.
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