You also said that being part of Teach For America was “the most meaningful, life-changing challenge you'd ever faced - a challenge that everyone who is serious about social change should embrace.” Would you mind stating why?
Serving as a corps member was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. I taught high school Spanish in Baltimore, MD, and though I knew the city well and had heard all of the statistics about the achievement gap in our country, I didn’t really get the extent of the problem until I got into my classroom. The city-wide graduation rate was only 38.5% at the time, the second lowest in the country – which meant that, of the 110 students I was teaching every single day for two years, almost 70 were expected to drop out of fail out before I got them to graduation.
I had to work incredibly hard to get my kids caught up and on track for graduation and college – relying on the expertise of veteran teachers to help me become a better instructor, reaching out to parents and families who had been disengaged by the school’s lack of communication with them, and investing my kids’ coaches, ministers, bosses, mentors, and friends in our collective community effort – but it paid off. Because by the time my students finished high school, we had nearly doubled the graduation rate together. Seventy-three ended up graduating from Southwestern High School that year, and several dozen headed off to college that fall.
Being a teacher was the hardest job I’ve ever had, but it also made me realize that this problem is 100% solvable. If you get passionate, talented role models, who are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty, into our nation’s lowest-performing schools, we can close the achievement gap one classroom at a time. And the insight and skills I developed as a teacher opened my eyes to the ways that I can help systemically reform the way schools work and end educational inequity.
In your opinion, how can this opportunity enable Hispanics have a greater an impact in the lives and future of today’s youth?
There is a tremendous need for Latino role models in the classrooms that Teach For America serves. Only half of the kids in low-income communities graduate from high school, and the ones that do are, on average, only able to perform at a middle-school level at age 18. Since Hispanic students are three times as likely as white students to grow up in poverty, we need as many teachers as possible to prove to our kids that they can beat the odds. When I was being trained through Teach For America, I taught English as a Second Language in South Central, Los Angeles, and many of my students were very recent immigrants to the U.S. Aside from feeling at ease in a new environment, my kids needed teachers who could engage their communities and relate to their experience. The additional impact that Latino teachers had on our students was profound.
What are the main characteristics Teach For America is looking for in an applicant?
Over the past 20 years that Teach For America has been serving school districts around the country, we’ve identified some common trends that make our most exceptional teachers stand out in the classroom. In essence, we’ve found that great leaders make great teachers, so that’s exactly what we’re looking for in our candidates. There are many ways to demonstrate leadership qualities, and we view applicants holistically by looking for evidence of:
- Demonstrated past leadership and achievement: achieving ambitious, measurable results in academic, professional, extracurricular, or volunteer settings
- Perseverance in the face of challenges
- Strong critical thinking skills: making accurate linkages between cause and effect and generating relevant solutions to problems
- Ability to influence and motivate others
- Organizational ability: planning well, meeting deadlines, and working efficiently
- Understanding of and desire to work relentlessly in pursuit of our vision
- Respect for students and families in low-income communities
Lastly, what would say to those individuals that want to maximize their impact in their local community but don’t know if Teach For America is right for them?
Take a risk and try something new! There are plenty of great opportunities to serve the community out there, so find something that you’re passionate about and seek out service options that work for you. It can be a little intimidating to commit yourself to something so life-changing, so research well-established and respected programs like AmeriCorps. Consider full-time service programs like Teach For America, where you can earn a full salary, benefits, and financial incentives like academic grants and transitional funding to serve others while still supporting yourself.
The final deadline for submitting applications is Friday, February 19, 2010. Those interested can obtain information about requirements and present their applications online at https://www.teachforamerica.org/online/info/index.jsp?action=applyNow
Meet two 2009 Corps Members
*After being heavily involved in the Latino community in Washington, DC, Melissa Dreyer (Houston ’09) graduated from George Washington University last spring and is now teaching bilingual early childhood in Texas. This picture shows Ms. Dreyer and her collaborative teachers at the summer training institute.
*Oscar Perez (DC Region ’09) uprooted from his home in Los Angeles to come teach high school English here in DC. Many of his Hispanic students tell him that he is the first teacher they’ve ever had who looks like them, which has allowed him to have a deeper impact in his classroom and establish stronger relationships with his kids and their families.
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors and career interests who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools. It offers an excellent opportunity to candidates willing to help their communities while at the same time allowing them to obtain a full-time job with a competitive salary, health benefits, financial support and training in different areas to ensure their success as educators and offer them the tools to become leaders and highly qualified professionals inside or outside the field of education. BusinessWeek ranked TFA #7 in "Best Places to Launch a Career" in 2009 and for the third year in a row was the top ranked non-profit organization.
*pictures are courtesy of Teach for America.
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