I am reposting because the podcasts were blocked last week on YouTube and inaccessible.
Truth For America is a Network For Public Education Action podcast co-hosted by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig and Jameson Brewer that provides voice to educators, parents, students and other stakeholders about Teach For America.
In Episode 2, Julian and Jameson debate journalist Tracy Dell’Angela and discuss her comments in the Education Post blog “Hey TFA Haters, What’s Wrong With a Little Idealism?”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“Idealism” is wrong when its actually the stalking horse of a greedy, anti community neoliberal plan to convert public assets/public services into privatized cash cows for charter school operators, vendors, etc.
LikeLike
Governor Brown of California made some refreshing remarks in this interview. You might find them interesting. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/state-711547-education-brown.html
LikeLike
In Finland, a teacher-candidate has to complete 300 credit hours of coursework, and write a master’s thesis to become a teacher. Just the first two years (or 120 credit hours) spent on learning content is more than a typical US undergrad has to complete to get a degree.
So now compare the remaining 180 credit hours with the 5 weeks preparation of a TFA kid.
What TFA supporters are saying is that this at least 10-fold extra time Finns spend on teacher preparation is a waste of time.
LikeLike
Btw, I know some TFA teachers and ex-teachers, and they will all vote for Sanders. Think about the psychology of this.
LikeLike
Can’t think of that psychology, Máté! I don’t want to have to clean up sticky brain globules from all over the kitchen.
LikeLike
Thanks Julian and Jameson, for this very cool new series. I listened to your patient, polite treatment of the TFA brand defender. Your scholarly reaction is admirable.
I almost gagged at the same old tired lies, such as – TFA is too small to do any damage, and the critics are just TFA haters, blah blah.
The difference between a critic and a hater, TFA? The critic knows you.
LikeLike
Thanks Paz!
LikeLike
People and organizations like TFA that do hateful things should not be surprised when others respond in kind.
LikeLike
“TFA is too small to do any damage.”
Yes they are like AIDS in that regard. Teaching AIDS.
PS I am a TFA hater and proud of it. Prolly should get a bumper sticker.
I think the whole thing is absurd: throwing a bunch of elitist white people with essentially no training into schools populated by minority children about which they have absolutely no clue.
LikeLike
Poet, even worse if TFA in special education classrooms with no training or preparation.
LikeLike
And worse of all (although it is hard to top the abuse and symbolic violence perpetrated onto the innocent children by not having a decent teacher) is that these wonder TFAers end up in administrative and policy making positions.
LikeLike
Tracy Dell ‘Angela’s rhetorical question – “Hey TFA haters, what’s wrong with a little idealism?” – should be answered with another one: “Hey TFA liars, what’s wrong with a little honesty?”
LikeLike