Teach For America Makes the Grade at Challenged Schools, Criticism Aside

I am not a TFA teacher. I was educated and taught how to be an effective teacher. The rest came from pure talent and genuine caring about the population I work with. I have dedicated my life to working with the children and families that unfortunately fall into that "low income, at risk" status.

At the school in which I work, there is a TFA principal and he has replaced almost all of the "traditional" teachers with his TFA teachers. Working alongside the "traditional" teachers, they have performed no more miracles than the regular teachers. In some cases, they have done quite the opposite. But you would not know this because the principal invests time, money and training into only these teachers. The regular teachers have to seek workshops and request training. Just like children, if you don't encourage them and provide them with updated tools, they won't succeed, well at least to the best of their ability. The same with teachers. The regular teachers that are not wanted, are not nurtured, not motivated and not trained. They become isolated and made to feel inferior. This is the tactic of the principal at my school. This is his way of getting rid of the "undesirables" that do not fall under the spell of TFA. There have been many highly qualified, very effective teachers, invested teachers that fell through the cracks. These are the teachers that make a difference and have been making a difference, even before the "elite" group came in.

I use the word "elite" because that is the mentality of the TFA people when they enter a school that serve people from low income areas. They look down on the teachers that have been there and shun those that don't buy in to their organization. TFA are people that come from different disciplines. It makes me wonder if they entered teaching to actually make a difference or if they just could not survive in the discipline in which they first chose. If I was not successful in one area, I would try something else too. But don't assume that teaching is so easy that anyone can do it. The TFA people have a business mentality at my school - mainly because they have a business background. They are very good at undercutting, politicking and getting rid of people - I have to give them that. That business degree is truly working for them.

Some are not good at building healthy, honest relationships with children and families from low SES. No, some are not good working with and understanding African and Hispanic Americans (let's just put it out there). I have seen it and continue to live through it. And no matter how hard people like myself assist in that area, the mainstream TFA people still do it their way. They continue to leave children feeling as if they are not valued. That does more harm to an AA or HA child than does good/bad grades. That lingers within the psyche causing lasting, negative effects.

I read about TFA and how they train. This is what I gathered: they do 30 hours of observing and independent work (whatever that means and entails) with TFA teachers and an intensive 5 week training and are introduced to the schools in which they will be teaching. My principal does a great job showing TFA people around. And all of a sudden, they have replaced another teacher. Yes, we have caught on to that. Next the TFA recruits (the best of the very best GPA wise) are trained in a summer school program, getting feedback and support. The principal now has solidified that position for them. While working during those 2 years, they are privy to workshops, TFA support and the support of their principal. Not to mention their salaries are more than anyone else's. I would feel elite too with all of that. Actually, me personally, no I would not. I wouldn't because I come from the same background as the children and families I work with. Plus, I usually prefer not to play politics.

Those statistics of how many minorities they have in the TFA organization, I do not believe. My school has almost been replaced by all TFA people and only 2 are AA (and that was because people like myself and others stressed the fact that we needed highly qualified minorities working with the children as well). Out of those two, one relates more with mainstream society and the other works very hard. Not to mention one of them will be leaving at the conclusion of this school year - it might even be before the closing of this school year. This is going to be a pattern. No, there are not many minorities in TFA. And to be honest, there are not enough minorities teaching at all. I feel this is one of the biggest contributors to the lack of academic success for minority students anyway. That is another topic in itself though.

I commend Wendy Koop (1989) for recognizing and stepping forward to do something about the sad state of the educational system. Her efforts seemed genuine. But what I see now is a group of business people, white business people who have found yet another way to ignore and disregard culture, stiffer creativity, and cram mainstream down the throats of the less fortunate. All of this while taking out the real "front line" solders that have been making a difference. Not all teachers, that have been trained the way our government and educational systems required us to be trained, are ineffective teachers. Majority of us are skillful, successful teachers. Just like any other system, including TFA, there are some educated rotten apples in the bunch. Just because a person goes through TFA, doesn't mean they are highly qualified, effective and meant to teach. It doesn't mean they have the communication skills to reach most children. It just means that with millions of dollars behind them, a chance to get rid of student loans, the guarantee of a job and the networking opportunities, anything is possible.

The government has allowed this to happen to our children. They have allowed the lack of good leadership (superintendents) in the schools (principals) which trickle down to the hiring of terrible teachers alongside excellent teachers. Now all the teachers are to blame? (Example - A principal in a predominately black school has been there for 7 years. If people equate EOG scores with success - in which I feel success comes in many forms - she has had 7 years of low test scores. She is still a principal). Plus, tenure has to go. The government has the power to do things differently. There have been many people who have suggested and tried to carry out the very exact same things that Wendy Koop has done. This is not rocket science! Everyone should work together to ensure that those left behind get the best education as other children.

What I have experienced from TFA I do not like. It seems the organization's representatives make judgments on who should and should not teach, want to fill all schools that have TFA leadership with TFA people (and THAT came out of my principal's mouth), suggest that the training and education that most of us received is not of quality and that their methods are superior. This is from people who are not truly educated in the field of education. I don't really don't understand how the state can issue a license to people who have really not been educated to teach. That is another problem in itself and a big slap in the face.

So these are my gripes about TFA. I do not gripe unless I am in the mix, actively trying to make a difference. And so I am. My task is to make a difference in the areas of hiring and retaining the best principals and teachers to teach our children in the public schools - also getting rid of the ineffective ones. My task includes insisting on updated, improved, relevant and ongoing professional development for all teachers. Most importantly, my task includes a plan on how to properly mentor and support teachers. Those things can be achieved without the air of superiority and the separatist attitudes.

If it is truly about teaching our young children, we should not work against each other. We should work together.

Signed,

T

If we are all in this together - not one particular entity should claim to be the "superman"!

T of NC 1:12PM April 22, 2011