Matt Barnum, a TFA alum (2010), asks whether TFA has run its course. Now a law student, he is glad that he joined TFA, and he thinks it had a very important original mission. But now that districts are hiring TFA youngsters to replace experienced teachers, he is worried about the role that TFA is playing. The very existence of TFA, he opines, makes it easy for districts to ignore the necessity of developing career talent and holding on to experienced teachers. He has more to say that makes for provocative reading.
For example:
“The other problem is the wasted investment a school makes in a teacher who leaves after just a few years. Sadly, I’m a poster child for this. I remember my last day at my school in Colorado, as I made the rounds saying goodbye to veteran teachers, my friends and colleagues who had provided me such crucial support and mentorship. As I talked of my plans for law school in Chicago, and they bade me best wishes, I felt an overwhelming wave of guilt. Their time and energy spent making me a better teacher – and I was massively better on that day compared to my first – was for naught. The previous summer I had spent a week of training, paid for by my school, to learn to teach pre–Advanced Placement classes. I taught the class for a year; presumably, I thought, someone else would have to receive the same training – or, worse, someone else would not receive the same training. All that work on classroom management and understanding of the curriculum, all the support in connecting with students and writing lesson – it would all have to begin again with a new teacher. (Indeed, my replacement apparently had a nervous breakdown and quit after a few months. She was replaced by a long-term substitute who one of my former colleagues must write lesson plans for.)
“If Teach For America disappeared next year, I imagine that my old district and many across the country might suffer in the short term. (If TFA did ever close shop, phasing itself out slowly would surely be preferable to shutting down immediately.) But in the long term, I think it might be better for schools. Perhaps the loss of TFA would force districts to work on improving working conditions or pay, in order to retain top teachers. Perhaps it would help create more stability in schools. I admit this is speculative, and that many of these problems existed before TFA. It’s just as speculative, though, to suggest that TFA is currently having a positive influence on schools and students.”
This interesting post gave rise to the following thoughts:
Why is it that public education has gotten this point?
Do a significant number of people really have any idea what goes on in the schools they send their children to everyday?
Are we all nuts? Or just plain greedy?
This link to a Louisiana Voice article about TFA funding was in the comments section of Barnum’s post. As lbarrios1 says, “For a true picture of TFA in Louisiana follow the money.”
Teach for America solicits donations, public funds, finder fees while amassing $1 billion fortune, tax records show
March 5, 2013 by tomaswell
My school no longer hires TFA. The constant churn of teachers was driving parents to seek other schools. In one grade level/department, all 3 teachers were brand-new TFA. Test scores plummeted with no veterans to guide them.
In my grade level/department, the veterans made it clear that we would leave if we had to train another temporary teacher. Our admin chose us over them.
Cupcake: care to make a wager? You know, on whether or not the charterites/privatizers will pay any attention to your hard won, real world experience and take it into ‘account’ as they come up with their latest ‘accountability’ schemes that include replacing more and more experienced [=expensive in edubully-speak] educators with more and more enthusiastic [=economical in edubully-speak] TFAers?
Thought so. Darn! And I was so looking forward to a few extra benjamins…
🙂
It should be underscored that the TFA billion dollar treasure chest has been accumulated tax free. Our non-profit system is just as broken as our tax code is for the wealthy. The 1% has proven that those who can most afford to pay taxes have figured out how to get around it and parlay their fortunes into greater wealth, even while calling themselves a “charity.”
.
Underscore as well the $50 million annual handout from the federal government.
Yes. More corporate welfare for cronies.
I think you just made it clear why PARCC became a non-profit. http://www.parcconline.org/parcc-becomes-non-profit
We have hundreds of unemployed certified teachers here in western NY to fill the classrooms of TFA teachers if TFA ends it’s encroachment and gets out of the way.
yes, Peg is right. There are many unemployed teachers in my state, too, and all over the country for that matter. Teacher shortage? I don’t think so.
I heard on the news 300,000 educators lost jobs over the last years of Obama admin.
HOW MANY OF THESE TEACHERS ARE WILLING TO TRAVEL TO MISSISSIPPI DELTA TO TEACH IN SCHOOLS? NONE. TFA GETS TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS WHERE YOU CAN’T FIND ANY ONE TO FILL IN. EDUCATE YOURSELVES PEOPLE. JESUS CHRIST.
Hey, Ben, how long do they stay in the Delta?
Ben, why are TFA replacing well-trained, experienced teachers in urban districts?
I found something from 2006 stating that TFA had cranked up their recruiting efforts and that, “TFA now has 128 full-time employees on campuses, headhunting top student leaders and organizing recruiting events.” http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/11/27/8394324/index.htm
If the best those recruiters can come up with are people like the immature Ms. Bogg for Oprah’s Blackboard Wars, at New Orleans’ McDonough High School, who cannot manage a classroom of LESS than a dozen kids, often admonishes them and then breaks down and cries to her students, I’d say that’s a HUGE waste of money.