I joined Teach for America in 1992, the third year of the program's existence when it was still a relatively small program and nothing like the player it has become in the national education debate. Back then, any news coverage was an exciting affirmation ("Look! I exist!" [we didn't have the webernet, either, if you can believe that]), and those of us of a certain age still tend to read every article and pass it on to fellow veterans.
So it was that one of my roommates from back in the day (who has now cheerfully sold out to work for the Man on Wall Street) noted how TFA's recruits have largely become graduates of schools at which we could never have gotten accepted; in fact, had current standards prevailed then, we'd never have taught in the Houston Independent School District.
On the other hand, when they admitted losers such as those of us who once rented a house behind a movie theater, they probably got a decent percentage of classroom lifers. I'd guess that more recent TFA veterans are going into administration than in the olden days, but seriously: when you've been accepted by Yale Law, are you really going to be a classroom teacher forever?
At the end of the day, what the system really, really needs is good teachers. Maybe the TFA model can't produce those, but at least it should admit that.
So it was that one of my roommates from back in the day (who has now cheerfully sold out to work for the Man on Wall Street) noted how TFA's recruits have largely become graduates of schools at which we could never have gotten accepted; in fact, had current standards prevailed then, we'd never have taught in the Houston Independent School District.
We didn't hike Machu Pichu in the 7th grade and rewrite the curriculum for our middle school WHILE IN ELEMENTARY school and so on.And there's the rub. Back in the day, I gained some small notoriety within the Houston corps for criticizing TFA's failure to effectively train classroom teachers. TFA's present model really is the answer to my complaints: get the best and brightest exposed to teaching for a couple years in the hopes that a tiny percentage will commit those Machu Pichu-conquering energies to fixing America's public education system. Mind you, this really is working. Look at our own TFA corps year. Dave Levin and Mike Feinberg produced the KIPP charter school movement, and Joel Rose has become the NYC school chancellor's right hand man and is trying to revolutionize teaching paradigms. And, lest I forget the obvious, there's Michelle Rhee, late chancellor of Washington, D.C. schools, TIME magazine cover girl, and documentary film star. The more TFA recruits the best and brightest, the more likely it is to get this kind of impact.
We were just reasonably smart hard working guys who liked kids and had honest aspirations. APPLICATION DENIED!
On the other hand, when they admitted losers such as those of us who once rented a house behind a movie theater, they probably got a decent percentage of classroom lifers. I'd guess that more recent TFA veterans are going into administration than in the olden days, but seriously: when you've been accepted by Yale Law, are you really going to be a classroom teacher forever?
At the end of the day, what the system really, really needs is good teachers. Maybe the TFA model can't produce those, but at least it should admit that.
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