Don't Teach for America

Those of you who know me are aware of my strong opinion against Teach for America. In theory, it's a good idea to send highly qualified college graduates to teach in high-needs areas, but in practice, the program has a myriad of problems -- the recruits, for instance, aren't necessarily education majors and haven't had proper training, and the fact that they only have to sign a two-year contract pretty much guarantees that there will be a lot of turnover in the teaching profession in the areas where good teachers are most needed.

A professor at Fordham University brought up another valid point against TFA in this article.  Mainly, his beef was that his students were rarely chosen, whereas students at Ivy League institutions were overwhelmingly preferred. He states, "[s]omething was really wrong if an organization which wanted to serve low-income communities rejected nearly every applicant from Fordham, students who came from those very communities, and accepted nearly half of the applicants from an Ivy League school where very few of the students, even students of color, come from working-class or poor families." In essence, the Fordham professor is voicing his concern that students from elite backgrounds cannot empathize with the plight of those in poverty. This is definitely a legitimate concern, and yet another reason why education reform in general and TFA is particular, needs drastic changes.