Updated 3/8/2019: Should Teach For America (TFA) be banned in California Schools?
The California State University Sacramento Doctorate in Educational Leadership will be holding a forum entitled “Should Teach For America (TFA) be banned in California Schools?” It will take place in Sacramento, California on Wednesday, March 13 at 4 pm in the California State capitol room 126.
TFA is invited too:
We have also invited Assemblymember Garcia who is the author of AB 221 and other individuals who are former TFA corps members and researchers.
TFA began as the senior project of an undergraduate Princeton University business student, Wendy Kopp. The original mission was the belief that high-achieving students from prestigious backgrounds with no training in education would provide the “best and brightest” teachers to the nation’s neediest of students, thus closing the achievement gap. AB 221 authored by Cristina Garcia (D-58th Bell Gardens) that would prohibit Teach For America (TFA) trained teachers from teaching in schools where at least 40% of students are from low-income households. This forum will include former TFA teachers, community stakeholders and others to feature research and other evidence to discuss whether TFA should be placed in low-income schools.
We hope to see you March 13!
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I am also wondering what CTA thinks about this:
Cloaking Inequity 
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Teach for America should be banned in California & every state in the nation. TFA “corps members” are not Teachers, they misrepresent themselves to parents and families who entrust their children to our public schools. They are liars the first time they identify themselves as members of the teaching profession and pick-up the check of a first-year certified teacher. Having a “waiver” does not absolve them.
TFA makes liars out of the school districts that pay an additional $4-6,000 “finders fee” to hire corps members and school districts rationalize this expense by telling parents that corps members are “high quality!” Principals join in the conspiracy when they accept a $6-10,000.stipend from TFA to hire and “mentor” these corps members for their school over a licensed teacher. Corps members burden the teaching faculty of the schools they are assigned to. Veteran teachers end up supporting these corps members because they are concerned about the students in their classes. They know the corps member might disappear in a year or two, but the children will remain and have a right to an education.
Teachers educate into the profession. They make a commitment to educating children by getting certified before they enter the classroom. TFA corps members are “trained” for 5 weeks, less time then many dog training academies require! Yet they are placed in schools with the neediest children in the nation!
This past month I had an epiphany when I found out that TFA “corps members” also receive between $5,300-$6,100. a year as an “education award” from AmeriCorps! That money is paid from our tax dollars! Given that TFA refuses to close, and keeps trying to reinvent itself, I have a new TFA model to propose. As a Boston Public School teacher, I know that urban districts need experienced teachers. TFA could reach out to certified teachers with ten to thirty years of experience, in toney suburban schools who would like to have an urban school district experience. They would receive the same pay as their current school district unless the urban school district pay was higher, then they would receive that. It would be retirement worthy.
The TFA corps member would replace the toney suburban teacher for a couple of years. That would give the corps member time to get certified and experienced, at the cost of students whose families can afford the hit! If a corps member wanted to continue teaching, they could apply to the urban school district or remain where they are in an open position. Everyone would qualify for that $5,300-$6,100 a year “education award” from TFA and financed by AmeriCorps!
How long do you think it would take parents and families in these toney suburban towns to rise in revolt against TFA? 🤣
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I live in Georgia, but I am very interested in the outcome of this event.
http://www.effectivelyyours.com
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We will probably live stream it.
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an ironically CRUCIAL turning of the goal: “PROHIBIT Teach For America (TFA) trained teachers from teaching in schools where at least 40% of students are from low-income households. “
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