Teach for America: A Rant

Today in my "Perspectives in Education" class we had an impromptu discussion about Teach for America and it, to say the least, got me a little fired up, and not so much in a good way. Before I begin what I actually want to say in this post, let me begin by telling you the information that I know (or think I know) about Teach for America. I consider myself in no way to be an expert, but here is my knowledge on the subject:

• Teach for America is a program which places teachers into high-need areas in the country
• ANYONE with a college degree can apply to be in the program
• You do not need any sort of background in education to apply (i.e. an accounting major who has never worked with children can apply)
• This is known as a "fast-track" teacher prep
• I may be a little off on the actual time frame, but I have heard that only about 15 hours of educational training is provided before throwing these "teachers" into classrooms
• Many college graduates go into the program because they "want to make a difference" and want to "move to a new area" or "try something new"

If you would like more information on Teach for America, I suggest you visit their website at  http://www.teachforamerica.org/.

Now that you know some of the facts, here are a few of my opinions on Teach for America (please excuse the rant that this may become):

First of all, these "teachers" are entering the field of teaching without so much as a class on classroom management. Also, they are taking the jobs of people who went to school for 4+ years to become teaching. Many of the people who enter the program do it for the experience and not because they truly have a passion for teaching. I should also mention that the application does require that you include your grade point average in college and any awards and honors you may have received, but in no place asks about your feelings or experiences on working with children. I assume, and hope, that people who do choose this route love children, however I know for a fact that there are people in the program who simply want to live in a new place and have new experiences. Is it really fair that these young adults who lack any real training or certification are able to go in and have our jobs? And more importantly, is it fair to the children of this nation that they be taught by mediocre teachers who are not actually qualified to teach them?


Another major aspect of Teach for America deals with location. These teachers are placed in high-need areas, which includes areas with low income and low social economic status. Often times, but not always, the children in these schools come from unstable home lives that do not provide the care and support that they need. It is true that many teachers who graduate from a four-year college with a degree in teaching do not want to teach in these areas. Teach for America is a way of placing teachers in these schools where there is a string need for teachers. This seems like a great idea. HOWEVER, these teachers go into these schools with little training and with no qualifications to actually teach. I believe that by allowing these teachers to go into these high-need areas and teach, we are doing a terrible disservice to our children. These are the children who need the absolute best that we can provide them with. They are in situations where they are forced to overcome poverty, poor living situations, and a lack of good role-models, among other issues. Getting out of a cycle with those obstacles to overcome is extremely difficult. Excuse me for this generalized statement, but I believe it to be true that few people who are born and raised in poverty are actually able to overcome it and raise their social economic status. Some do, yes, but only when they are given the proper supports. Providing them with teachers who have never taken any college classes on education is not providing these students with the proper supports. We can do better than that. These children deserve better than that. They did not choose to be born into poverty or into the areas where they live. The life they have was given to them and was not a choice. These are innocent children and they deserve the best teachers that we have because they do have more to overcome and they need good role-models and support systems. They need people to love and care about them. When we send Teach for America teachers into these schools, they are on a 2-year contract. Most (I think someone said 80%) of these teachers leave after those 2 years and do not return to teaching. The majority leave the area where they were sent to teach after their contract expires. IF these children are forming relationships with these teachers and finally have someone to believe in them and encourage them, what does it do to them when after two years, they leave? These children put their trust into their teachers and the last thing that they need is someone else to break that trust.

At the same time, not many teachers are willing to take a risk and accept those jobs in the high-need areas. It's a double-edged sword. I don't know how we're going to solve this problem and provide these children with the education that they really need, but I do hope that we find a way. Children are our future. Doesn't our future deserve the best?