Teach for America

Is that the program where teachers from other countries come teach?

Nope, nevermind.

But, I like the program itself, but why does the certification have to be different?

Oops, sorry.

Here is Teach for America:

http://www.teachforamerica.org/

The basic idea is that they try to get people who might otherwise not consider teaching because they are Fancy, and get them into teaching with the idea that they will be educational leaders (administrators, reformers, etc.) eventually. They require a two-year commitment to teaching. Here they need an alternative certificaiton process because they do not go through the same training process that other certified teachers go through (I believe it is five weeks of formal training followed by on-the-job mentoring).

Here is a link to the local NPR coverage:

http://kuow.org/program.php?id=21891

Deborah_BZCL wrote:Oops, sorry.

http://www.teachforamerica.org/

The basic idea is that they try to get people who might otherwise not consider teaching because they are Fancy, and get them into teaching with the idea that they will be educational leaders (administrators, reformers, etc.) eventually. They require a two-year commitment to teaching. Here they need an alternative certificaiton process because they do not go through the same training process that other certified teachers go through (I believe it is five weeks of formal training followed by on-the-job mentoring).

Here is a link to the local NPR coverage:

http://kuow.org/program.php?id=21891

NPR? But according Roger Ailes NPR is run by Nazis. Sorry....couldn't resist.



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I would like that program, actually. I've often WANTED to be a teacher, but my process here is a bit different. I could get my Bio degree and teach High School Bio as long as I was ACTIVELY working on my teaching certificate and had proof of it, as long as it didn't stretch over five years. (Unless I was working on my MCAT.) It has to be a special needs area, though.


From a parental standpoint, I wouldn't like it. Are those teachers as dedicated? If they're not as trained as regular teachers, how do I know that my kid would be getting everything he/she needed?

As an educator, I am not familiar with Teach for America. I have read the basic tennants of the "movement" and it angers me. These professional take a basic course of 5 weeks and gain valuable "on-the-job" training. They will commit to 2 years of teaching in rural or inner city schools and they will gain valuable insight and conviction to make a difference in these communities. BULL CRAP.

In my state you are not a certified teacher with only 5 weeks of course work and then allow you to complete "on-the-job" training. Then you gain insight by a MINIMUIM of 2 years of experience. Call me crazy, but in no other profession is 2 years adequate training to then become a "leader" in any corporation.

That is the main problem of our education system, IMO, is lawmakers that have spent minimal time in a classroom and I consider 2 years in ONE location bare minimuim and then think they have it all figured out.

Be a teacher for 10+ years in different areas in my state and then propose change and I will hear your thoughts.

Edite: As far as my child getting one of these teachers, I would be livid and demanding a VALID TEACHING CERTIFICATE for my child's teacher.

My niece is in her 1st year of Teach for America. She graduated from Northwestern U. in May and put Law School on hold. It is a very hard program to get into. I am a HS English teacher and that is what she is teaching. She went through a grueling training process over the summer and has to go to classes in the summer. She is overwhelmed and in my opinion completely unqualified even though she is a very good writer and a very bright girl. She has already taken 2 mental health days since the beginning of the year. I didn't take any sick days my first few years of teaching. (Kudos to me, I know.) She is teaching in a very low income area in Arkansas and completey out of her element. She is in an area where there is a shortage of teachers so she is not taking away anyone's job. A lot of the kids cannot read or barely can. Teach for America itself has had a lot of successes if you care to read about them. She has had some small successes in the classroom as do many seasoned teachers that she is very proud of. I truly hope she lasts the 3 years that she has committed to. Teach for America has a strong support system for their teachers and they are not allowed to teach whatever they want. They have to follow strict guidelines and submit all of their lessons plans along with all of the assessment results. Someone from her high school joined and stayed on and became a principal of the school he taught at. My niece did have to pass all of the teaching exams prior to starting the program which aren't that hard anyway. Sorry for any errors. I am tired but I saw this post and wanted to add my 2 cents since I know someone directly involved. I know I should not be ending sentences with prepositions (as an English teacher) but it has been a long day!

The certification has to be different because, with NCLB, teachers must be "highly qualified" to be in the classroom. This means either starting off with an education degree and a teaching license straight out of college or taking classes, a series of PRAXIS tests, or something else. What those classes, test, or something else might be is different in almost every state, and different for different disciplines. The requirements for science and math are much more relaxed due to the difficulty in finding and retaining quality math and science teachers. Provisional licensure is harder to get now than ever in English, and special education licensure can bankrupt you with the number of classes you need.

I am torn on this. I was provisionally licensed when I started, and I am a success story. I love my job, and to toot my horn, I am damn good at it. But I know people who started like me and were horribly unsuccessful, especially without adequate support. I don't know the stats, but about half of the teachers I know did not major in education. I had to take 6 classes and 3 PRAXIS tests to become certified to teach HS Biology, and middle school science and math teacher. Then I had to take 4 classes to become certified to teach Algebra 1...4 classes to become gifted certified...and a test to become high school math certified, once I had all the rest.

I don't know all that much about the program, but the teachers appear to have a great deal of support, and as long as the contract is only 2 years, I think TFA could be a wonderful addition to a struggling school system.

Love2Travel wrote:As an educator, I am not familiar with Teach for America. I have read the basic tennants of the "movement" and it angers me. These professional take a basic course of 5 weeks and gain valuable "on-the-job" training. They will commit to 2 years of teaching in rural or inner city schools and they will gain valuable insight and conviction to make a difference in these communities. BULL CRAP.

In my state you are not a certified teacher with only 5 weeks of course work and then allow you to complete "on-the-job" training. Then you gain insight by a MINIMUIM of 2 years of experience. Call me crazy, but in no other profession is 2 years adequate training to then become a "leader" in any corporation.

That is the main problem of our education system, IMO, is lawmakers that have spent minimal time in a classroom and I consider 2 years in ONE location bare minimuim and then think they have it all figured out.

Be a teacher for 10+ years in different areas in my state and then propose change and I will hear your thoughts.

Edite: As far as my child getting one of these teachers, I would be livid and demanding a VALID TEACHING CERTIFICATE for my child's teacher.

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Good Lord. I'd like to ask you to dial it back a bit. TFA is a non-profit, so I don't quite understand what the bolded statement means.

How do you feel about provisional licensure, and how is TFA all that different?

I think that depending on the stringency of the selection process this could be a great program. Teachers with real world experience are very valuable especially on the high school level.

I'm been subjected to some pretty rotten teachers in my time, teachers who obtained teaching degrees and then received tenure and became horrible.

Sometimes those who truly want to teach are the best ones.

oldtimer wrote:I think that depending on the stringency of the selection process this could be a great program. Teachers with real world experience are very valuable especially on the high school level.

I'm been subjected to some pretty rotten teachers in my time, teachers who obtained teaching degrees and then received tenure and became horrible.

Sometimes those who truly want to teach are the best ones.

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Yep...agree with bolded.

I have a friend who is in medical school now, but spent 2 years after college in TFA. He taught in rural Arkansas. It was a tough job, but he doesn't regret spending that time teaching as opposed to getting started in medical school. He WANTED to do it and therefore put in the effort and was successful. There are (certified) teachers out there who really hate their job and it reflects in their performance.

As far as my child getting one of these teachers, I would be livid and demanding a VALID TEACHING CERTIFICATE for my child's teacher.[/quote]

Unfortunately, this does not guarantee your child's teacher will be any good. This is coming from someone who has been teaching for 12 years.

My husband's favorite high school teacher came out of an industry chemist position to teach high school chemistry. She worked on her certification as she taught and was very good at her job. She is now a principal at one of the high schools in our home town. It isn't exactly the same but it is a similar kind of thing. She was very good and there are, I am sure, some talented people who could help educate children in this country. I have no problem with it. I would have a problem with any teacher not doing their job whether coming through a TFA program or tenured or anything in between. If my child is getting a good education, I am not overly concerned with specific credentials.

I find it appalling that someone can go through a short training period and then be put in charge of a child’s education. Everyone thinks they can be a teacher because they have gone to school and watched teachers. Have you ever tried to teach a child how to read? It’s not an easy process, especially for a child that may have some factors impacting their learning. I have a Master’s Degree in literacy and my current position at my school is a reading specialist. I have students that present new challenges every day. I do not know how someone with a five week training course would even know how to begin to diagnose a child’s learning difficulties and then plan instructional steps to meet that child’s needs. As a parent, I would never let my child be in a classroom with a Teach for America teacher. I want my child in a class with a highly-qualified teacher. IMO a five week training course with some “on the job training” is not good enough when we are talking about a child’s education.

TanBaby wrote:I find it appalling that someone can go through a short training period and then be put in charge of a child’s education. Everyone thinks they can be a teacher because they have gone to school and watched teachers. Have you ever tried to teach a child how to read? It’s not an easy process, especially for a child that may have some factors impacting their learning. I have a Master’s Degree in literacy and my current position at my school is a reading specialist. I have students that present new challenges every day. I do not know how someone with a five week training course would even know how to begin to diagnose a child’s learning difficulties and then plan instructional steps to meet that child’s needs. As a parent, I would never let my child be in a classroom with a Teach for America teacher. I want my child in a class with a highly-qualified teacher. IMO a five week training course with some “on the job training” is not good enough when we are talking about a child’s education.

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Well, if you try to stick to that, you will be in for some real trouble when your kids are in middle and high school. Do you understand how hard it is to find math and science teachers??

Oh, and, as others before me in this thread pointed out, there are plenty of fully certified teachers who suck.

12 years ago I was inexperienced and not "highly qualified." I grew into a pretty good teacher. Everyone starts their job without experience, right? Would you switch your child out of a brand new teacher's room?

TanBaby wrote:I find it appalling that someone can go through a short training period and then be put in charge of a child’s education. Everyone thinks they can be a teacher because they have gone to school and watched teachers. Have you ever tried to teach a child how to read? It’s not an easy process, especially for a child that may have some factors impacting their learning. I have a Master’s Degree in literacy and my current position at my school is a reading specialist. I have students that present new challenges every day. I do not know how someone with a five week training course would even know how to begin to diagnose a child’s learning difficulties and then plan instructional steps to meet that child’s needs. As a parent, I would never let my child be in a classroom with a Teach for America teacher. I want my child in a class with a highly-qualified teacher. IMO a five week training course with some “on the job training” is not good enough when we are talking about a child’s education.

I taught both of my kids to read, my degree is in psychology and I have never taken any courses in education.
I don't think this TFA idea could work for every teacher, but I think there are a lot of gifted, talented people for whom it absolutely could work.

TanBaby wrote:I find it appalling that someone can go through a short training period and then be put in charge of a child’s education. Everyone thinks they can be a teacher because they have gone to school and watched teachers. Have you ever tried to teach a child how to read? It’s not an easy process, especially for a child that may have some factors impacting their learning. I have a Master’s Degree in literacy and my current position at my school is a reading specialist. I have students that present new challenges every day. I do not know how someone with a five week training course would even know how to begin to diagnose a child’s learning difficulties and then plan instructional steps to meet that child’s needs. As a parent, I would never let my child be in a classroom with a Teach for America teacher. I want my child in a class with a highly-qualified teacher. IMO a five week training course with some “on the job training” is not good enough when we are talking about a child’s education.

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Not every teacher will teach a child how to read. I don't see how someone who has had the coursework to get into medical school wouldn't be qualified to teach middle school or high school science, with the addition of the training required by TFA.

And FYI, I taught my son (who has ADHD btw) how to read BEFORE he went to school and will do the same with my daughter. And I just have a lowly Bachelor's degree.

I had a lot of crappy teachers, but was lucky to have parents that made learning enjoyable and an everyday part of our lives. A lot of kids don't have that, and they aren't going to develop a love of learning on their own. Honestly, I learned far more outside the classroom than I ever did behind a desk.

I think kids can really benefit from teachers who are still passionate about learning and teaching and making a difference. It seems like far too many teachers lose that vigour and give up on their students. Kids can really benefit from someone who has more than a curriculum to teach. It seems like a very good idea for a program to me, provided it is executed with the proper oversight and support for the teachers.

TanBaby wrote:I find it appalling that someone can go through a short training period and then be put in charge of a child’s education. Everyone thinks they can be a teacher because they have gone to school and watched teachers. Have you ever tried to teach a child how to read? It’s not an easy process, especially for a child that may have some factors impacting their learning. I have a Master’s Degree in literacy and my current position at my school is a reading specialist. I have students that present new challenges every day. I do not know how someone with a five week training course would even know how to begin to diagnose a child’s learning difficulties and then plan instructional steps to meet that child’s needs. As a parent, I would never let my child be in a classroom with a Teach for America teacher. I want my child in a class with a highly-qualified teacher. IMO a five week training course with some “on the job training” is not good enough when we are talking about a child’s education.

Yes. Wasn't terribly hard, but he's a kid who really enjoys letters and numbers and I was mostly lead by him in doing so. Most parents I've spoken to have been the ones to teach their kids to read anyway.

Passion goes a long way when it comes to inspiring kids to learn. Would you rather have someone with a masters who doesn't give a crap about their job, or someone who is new to it but has a great deal of desire - and perhaps even natural skill - to help kids learn?

In a perfect world all teachers would be teaching because they love kids and it is their ultimate goal in life. (weirdos, lol, those kids would chew me up and spit me out in 1 hour flat)
Looking at it with rose colored glasses I can see why parents might be upset that their children were but a stepping stone on the path to a higher position. I understand that there are vigorous standards and that it is a difficult program to get into... My husband comes from a family of teachers. Both parents, aunts, a couple of cousins, grandmother, etc, etc, etc. I hear all the talk. I know how hard it is to have an administrator in a school setting who has not experienced longevity in the classroom. I really think it is almost a necessity for someone wanting to go into educational administration. You have to do the time first, and 2 years just doesn't seem enough to me.

I should read up more on the topic because I dont know enough to have a very strong opinion one way or the other. I wonder how much dedication these people will have for their classrooms. But on the other hand my 9 year old has a teacher who is retiring this year after teaching for over 30 years and believe me this lady wont let the door hit her in the rear on the way out. She is done, and her students are suffering because of it. So longevity for some should be more than 2 and less than 30 years, lol.

Tracey

Ozzie*sMom wrote:

Love2Travel wrote:As an educator, I am not familiar with Teach for America. I have read the basic tennants of the "movement" and it angers me. These professional take a basic course of 5 weeks and gain valuable "on-the-job" training. They will commit to 2 years of teaching in rural or inner city schools and they will gain valuable insight and conviction to make a difference in these communities. BULL CRAP.

In my state you are not a certified teacher with only 5 weeks of course work and then allow you to complete "on-the-job" training. Then you gain insight by a MINIMUIM of 2 years of experience. Call me crazy, but in no other profession is 2 years adequate training to then become a "leader" in any corporation.

That is the main problem of our education system, IMO, is lawmakers that have spent minimal time in a classroom and I consider 2 years in ONE location bare minimuim and then think they have it all figured out.

Be a teacher for 10+ years in different areas in my state and then propose change and I will hear your thoughts.

Edit: As far as my child getting one of these teachers, I would be livid and demanding a VALID TEACHING CERTIFICATE for my child's teacher.

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Good Lord. I'd like to ask you to dial it back a bit. TFA is a non-profit, so I don't quite understand what the bolded statement means.

How do you feel about provisional licensure, and how is TFA all that different?

I only read a few tabs on the website provided but it appeared like it was a program for people to teach and then move on up in the system to "make changes" that affect the people in the trenches. I really don't think that 2 years experience qualifies ANYONE to be a well versed educator.

While I agree that there are many success stories with people that teach under provisional licensure, there are many more than fail. I went to a undergraduate program that is a top rate school. In the first year of college if a candidate was considering education as a major they had to do tutoring at an inner city school for 4 hours a week. (This was as a first semester freshman.) I can safely say that almost 50% dropped out of the program based on their first exposure to the teaching profession. IMO, spending time in varying positions in many different schools, and under many different mentors provides a much more insight and conviction to make a difference than a 5 week course and on the job training.

To me this program is a temporary "fix" to find qualified teachers in our country. IMO, colleges should do a better job of training teaching candidates in how to handle the new mandates and regulations that are imposed on teachers. It is well documented that many teachers leave the profession within 5 years of graduation.

NYinLV wrote:As far as my child getting one of these teachers, I would be livid and demanding a VALID TEACHING CERTIFICATE for my child's teacher.

Unfortunately, this does not guarantee your child's teacher will be any good. This is coming from someone who has been teaching for 12 years.[/quote]

Yes, I know. I have a few in my building that I would cringe if my child was placed in their class.

kmonkey wrote:My husband's favorite high school teacher came out of an industry chemist position to teach high school chemistry. She worked on her certification as she taught and was very good at her job. She is now a principal at one of the high schools in our home town. It isn't exactly the same but it is a similar kind of thing. She was very good and there are, I am sure, some talented people who could help educate children in this country. I have no problem with it. I would have a problem with any teacher not doing their job whether coming through a TFA program or tenured or anything in between. If my child is getting a good education, I am not overly concerned with specific credentials.

I believe those that come to teaching a "second career" have the potential to be the best teachers. To the bolded, the part I am arguing is that it takes more than 5 courses, IMO. I agree with giving provisional licensure while someone is obtaining the required education classes.

double post-oops