sitting in the 29 Bar today, deep in Trojan territory watching my Bruins get spanked in the Final Four. this was not the only glaring contradiction of the day. as Antero and i debated about whether or not we could have prevented our mediocre workshop on graffiti from being so mediocre… i happened to over hear another conversation about Teach for America. immediately distracted from my mediocre conversation (no offense Antero, we were both tired) i tuned in to catch a tag line that would give me any bearing as to the the resident opinion of this highly controversial topic… Teach for America teachers. how much of a benefit are they to the education profession and all its ridiculous baggage.
in a moment’s time my fears were confirmed. the patrons discussing this at the table next to ours had said that, “teachers in TFA are positively affecting the classroom more than teachers from traditional credential programs as well as those with more experience.” i glanced at Antero’s face which reassured me that his suspicions had also been aroused (if anything it confirmed the fact that our previous dialogue was in need of a change of topic). i held my tongue a minute longer to see where this obviously misinformed discussion was headed when the lady who had began the discussion (whom i am indebted to for providing me with additional information in the upcoming link – thank you) referenced a study that backed up her assertion. i couldn’t bare it any longer so i leapt into the conversation uninvited. my clarifying question had also confirmed my hypothesis that this lady must have a daughter who was about to enter the program. i asked if shoe wouldn’t mind sharing this article with me and true to her word and my request, she sent the above link….
i pondered before i began writing my rant of a response. i thought about my own prejudices for TFA. my own everyday experiences with very close colleagues and friends who are members of TFA. i wanted to collect my thoughts to maintain the appearance of an objective and fair evaluator of issues, after all i am an educator. yet i could not shake the emotional part of the response i am about to share. the above study cites data from testing scores which everyone who knows anything about education realizes, despite the conventional wisdom, that test scores is not the only nor the best means to assess a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. however i could see how this data could be validated. the TFA teachers i know are far more dedicated to the perfection of their craft as teachers, way more committed to a reflective practice that with time, proper cultivation and administrative support would no doubt lead to a critical pedagogy bent on the transformative type of education so desperately needed by by our students and our country at large.
yet what was no addressed in this study was the saddening fact that TFA teachers are quite often not committed to the long term commitments to the field of education as other teachers from traditional universities, those who knew they wanted to positively affect the youth thru education specifically… those who may have had more than naive expectations on how to survive in the profession for any length of stay above the normal and frightening attrition rates commonly experienced by inner city schools like mine. what is even more depressing is the reasons why they are leaving… ask my friend, a 2nd year teacher who was assigned to quite possibly the most difficult assignment at our school, why she is leaving. one of the finest young teachers i have had the privilege to work with will not be on my time come next year. although she is one of a kind, she is not alone in this trend. another article written in 2004 highlights the issues concerning a program like TFA. before i can whole heartedly believe that TFA teachers produce better results, i have to figure out how to get around the many stories like the ones of my friend and my first mentor teacher, who change our students life for the better only to leave the profession and relegate the students once again to the horrors of a modern education system that provides them with under-qualified long term substitutes that rotate almost everyday, further eroding an already unstable life… one that does not set them up for the kind of success our society insists on measuring with bubble filling. maybe it is the definition of success that needs to be explored when we examine why these amazingly successful teachers choose to leave our profession to seek out struggle and success in others.
The reason I’m blogging at the Homeroom begins with the following letter I sent to the editor:
To Whom It May Concern
This feedback is in regards to the Homeroom Blog currently being published on the LA Times web site. As a classroom teacher, I am pleased to see the LA Times providing a space for teacher voice on the site. However, I wanted to take issue with the individuals currently blogging.
With two teachers from Teach For America representing the teacher perspective, I don’t feel that this is an accurate portrayal of life in an inner-city classroom. Teach For America teachers are only asked to commit two years to a specific school; the majority of the TFA alumni go to either graduate school or a new career field. With this respect, TFA individuals (from my experience) approach teaching with a missionary frame – they are the gifted teachers that will “save” our inner city children for a few years, get to write down the accomplishment on a resume or CV and move as far away from the ghetto as possible (unless they end up going to USC for grad school).
As I’ve said, I welcome the Homeroom blog – I’ve found numerous posts of relevance – but would encourage the inclusion of career-committed teachers, as we are usually the ones under the most heat. In general, I don’t feel that the expertise and professionalism of ordinary classroom teachers is recognized. I’d be happy to further discuss this matter and contribute to the Homeroom blog, if there is an interest. blah blah blah pitch to write blah blah blah
Sincerely,
Antero blah blah ….
I did not look at the research, but to me, it makes no sense that a TFA teacher is on the whole, better than a fully credentialed teacher. It takes a couple of years to get the hang of the job. My experience with TFA is that the participants tend to be superb individuals, but most struggle with class control–at least at the middle school level.
i am going to respond to comments posted on the Democracy vs. Anarchy post since they all belong on this post…
i also would be skeptical about the government spending money on a developing science or regulations based on an unproven science or thesis (yet it would not be the first time)…
as far as the skepticism on the science and who is funding it (and spinning it in the media) i would suggest taking on the tedious but possible task of following the money and i am sure you would see some government spending on research for the global warming skeptics… and corporation are certainly free to spend their money wherever they chose (in line with their priorities and stake holders)
as for the health connection to global warming you might peruse this article:
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/81530/
last thing: i think the terms are putting people into feuding camps. there is valid skepticism over how temperature specifically is being manipulated by humans. but there can hardly be a doubt that human beings are adversely affecting the natural environment on all levels.
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