Comments on: Teach For America Alums Not Becoming Astronauts! And Other Articles…

By: TFA Houston

TFA Houston — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:05:16 +0000

There is a lot of information on the Teach For America website and this report from Education Sector has information –

http://www.educationsector.org/usr_doc/TFA_Dots.pdf

By: hrm.

hrm. — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:24:20 +0000

Does anyone know if there is a study which breaks down what exactly it is TFA completers are doing once they have completed their year(s) teaching in these afflicted regions? The majority of people I know who’ve completed TFA have gone on to be teachers (remaining in title 1 schools), professors, doctors, and lawyers (education policy). Obviously these jobs may not be representative of the whole–and it would be unjust to assume so–but I feel as though this is something to be taken into consideration before passing judgment—whether it be in the form of criticism or praise. What do TFA completers pursue? What is the average amount of time they invest in these jobs? Do these jobs result in greater societal wellbeing—and if so, to what degree? I want to know what it looks like, very specifically. In reference to this article, we have to remember that media is often full of biases, and is sometimes driven by personal motive. Would schools be better off without any TFA Corps Members? It is my understanding that TFA Corps Members often fill jobs that no other teachers want—and when they are filled, that the turnover rate is high, which often affects students negatively.

Tangent: I think it is very interesting to talk to TFA completers, Corps Members, and drop-outs to find out about their experiences. What did their experiences mean to their students, to their students’ families, to their own lives? Where were their students at the beginning of the year—and at the end of the year? WHO are the students? WHAT are the students facing? HOW do you repair generational poverty? Does your quantitative data show results? What are the results? Qualitatively, how did you feel about the work? What was it like teaching in your placement region? How were you shaped by the work? What are you doing now to ameliorate the effects of poverty? What are your goals in the future?

We want for this argument to be clear—to be able to determine “what does TFA really DO?”—and the answer just is not as simple as anyone would like for it to be. To me, it means that there are thousands of bright, ambitious individuals who are trying to do make a difference—and maybe they aren’t sure what that even means, or looks like at the beginning of their years teaching–but that it’s more than a lot of people can say about their lives.

By: PhillipMarlowe

PhillipMarlowe — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:19:19 +0000

Dear Sarah,
Here’s the link to click and read regarding Ms. Kopp:
http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh071608.shtml
There’s no need to rewrite what Mr. Somersby has written so well.

By: Marktropolis

Marktropolis — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:52:05 +0000

TFA’s stated mission is “to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting our nation’s most promising future leaders in the effort.” The stated intent of McAdam’s work is “to assess the longer-term effect of youth service on participants’ current civic attitudes and behaviors.” Presumably, to “build the movement,” individuals actually have to stay in the movement. McAdams apparently has some data that indicates that drop-outs and nonmatriculants actually evidence those behaviors – and the graduates predominantly only evidence the attitude.

And “j”, the issue isn’t that folks *in* TFA aren’t currently engaged (when they’re teaching, of course they are), it’s that when they leave TFA they aren’t. At least not to the extent that the drop-outs and nonmatriculants are. Which begs the question: what’s the actual impact of TFA on individuals who probably would have gone into public service anyway?

By: RPOA

RPOA — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:18:20 +0000

I’m not totally sure if I buy the loans arguement as much Alum. Don’t forget, TFA CMs also get that AmeriCorps money to help pay down those loans, and depending on your region/school, can qualify for outright loan forgiveness. I wouldn’t be surprised if your example plays a role, but I personally would be skeptical of it being the primary reason.

As for the OP, I agree…the study itself isn’t really the troubling aspect…its the “spin”.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:35:01 +0000

For someone who seemingly disagrees with Wendy Kopp specifically and “elites” generally, Phillip, you have pointed to nothing specific about her response or TFA as a program that would indicate that either the program or she is misguided in any way.

I think there are a lot of critiques of Teach For America that potentially makes sense, but this nebulous idea of elitism as the reason for her lack of credibility is absurd.

To address the post, it’s an interesting and positive take on the mission of TFA. I think “Alum” has it right…if you look any of the information TFA posts about itself–this study doesn’t suggest that they aren’t reaching their goals.

And, in terms of transparency, asking for organization to conduct studies on your own (primarily donor-funded) organization’s effectiveness is decidedly the opposite of elitist behavior.

By: PhillipMarlowe

PhillipMarlowe — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:01:11 +0000

Has anyone ever pimped “easy answers” in the ridiculous way Kopp does? She seems to know nothing about low-income classrooms—unsurprising, since she’s never taught. She keeps making grandiose claims for her program—claims the studies don’t seem to support. But so what? Ever since the 1960s, our elites have favored pleasing, non-answer answers to the problem of low-income schools. They’ve always loved the music men who come along with their magic solutions. This new music man is especially helpful, since her program can be used to take silly shots at teachers unions, which simply aren’t the cause of this problem. But whatever! Manhattan elites have settled on Kopp. She provides the latest version of the pleasing, high-minded tale.

Our elites have tended toward this sort of thing since (soon after) Day One. They’ve always loved the pleasing tale in which our finest children, from our finest schools, solve this nagging problem with ease. That helps explain a tragicomical fact: Our finest children have been solving this problem for the bulk of the last forty years! Kopp’s just the latest pseudo-influential—the latest music man.

The problem lies in Kopp’s “most influential” status. As long as we pretend she knows what to do, others won’t bother to search.

By: j

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:51:09 +0000

As a new teacher who entered through a TFA-type program (TNTP), I find civic engagement difficult. This is especially so because I have a family waiting at the end of the day. But it’s also difficult for any new teacher to find time civic participation.

That said, isn’t teaching itself a form of civic engagement, especially if it’s a form of giving back?

By: Alum

Alum — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:16:25 +0000

Also consider, re: “lower” charitable contributions, that TFA alums had loans deferred for their 2-year commitment, but begin repayment upon exiting the program regardless of whether or not they remain in education. Non-matriculants essentially have a 2-year head start on dealing with loans and may have a financial plan that allows them to become donors earlier. Then there’s the reality that corps members (like most teachers, of course) supported their own classroom with personal financial resources, which I’m not sure is captured in the “charitable giving” figure. Pure speculation, of course, without anything but anecdotal experience to back it up.

By: Nashville Jefferson

Nashville Jefferson — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:44:28 +0000

Thanks for the perspective — there has been, indeed, a lot of cackling out there, but I think you’ve got it right. TFA has always had as a goal post-teaching civic engagement (i.e. being an advocate for a better educational system during the rest of one’s career), but it’s not the central mission. As well, you’re right on about the baseline vs. the actual comparison made in the study. The “control” group, so to speak, already has abnormally high levels of participation, so any small difference between them and the TFA folks gets magnified.