Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Teach for America in Virginia

—

by

sherlockj
in

by James C. SherlockOne commenter on my last article was highly critical of Teach for America (TFA). I cannot let that go without refutation.Look at the map of TFA places to work.  

You will see that in Virginia only the inner suburbs of the D.C. area have access to those highly motivated young people. Alexandria is the first school division in Virginia to partner with Teach For America. It is actively recruiting TFA volunteers.

Now look at North Carolina on the same map. Read the Charlotte-Piedmont Triad TFA web page.

Now look at the Petersburg teacher charts again.

 

 

TFA is headquartered in Arlington.

I have written the Virginia Secretary of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction and recommended they explore with TFA an expansion into the Southside area. I hope they do it.

Petersburg is not nearly the only school division in that region that needs help.

Share this article

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

Comments

39 responses to “Teach for America in Virginia”

  1. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    I have visited many TFA schools. I agree with you. Motivated teachers are better than no teacher at all. The TFA teachers get extra support and this support is well worth the investment.

    1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      Thanks Kathleen. Please contact Superintendent Koons and her staff with that recommendation.

      Given your background, it would be very meaningful.

    2. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      Thanks Kathleen. Please contact Superintendent Koons and her staff with that recommendation.

      Given your background, it would be very meaningful.

      1. Kathleen Smith Avatar
        Kathleen Smith

        When I worked at the department, McDonnell attempted to get TGA in Virginia. You see the results. I visited New Orleans, St. Louis and Montgomery. I recommended Petersburg and Sussex, but no go. Petersburg felt that the TFA teachers could not relate. Hogwash, that is exactly what they are trained to do. I observed some amazing classrooms.

        1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          Maybe Petersburg is desperate enough now, even if their union isn’t.

          The Secretary is part of Gov. Youngkin’s Petersburg initiative. She could bring it up in that context.

          1. Kathleen Smith Avatar
            Kathleen Smith

            Good point

  2. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    This is what I know.

    If I have to hire 30 new teachers out of 150, that is 1/5 of my staff. That is a lot of teachers to get through their first year.

    If I am smart, then I let TFA handle helping some of those teachers. Maybe two or three in each department. That leaves me with less.

  3. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    I think the term used by my father’s generation was “scabs”. There’s articles by the carload on the seamier aspects of TFA.

    https://www.thecrimson.com/column/the-red-line/article/2013/10/23/dont-teach-for-america/

    If it sounds too good to be true…

    On a personal note, my extremely white, nearly translucent, ginger cousin went straight from college to teaching in Chicago’s south side in the mid-70s. He said it was the best preparation of his life for his career in the Bureau of Prisons.

    1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      So I’ll let the Secretary of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Petersburg school board each know that you, behind a screen name, reject assistance from TFA for the all poor school districts with terrible schools.

      I am sure that will settle it.

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Hey, all I know is what I read, and while you research “Teach for America”, I research “Teach for America scam”.

        1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          “All I know is what I read”. Exactly. See Kathleen’s comment.

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Meh, it may be moot anyway…
            https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GS_01272023_BC_tfa-fig1.png

        2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
          Eric the half a troll

          Notice who did not address this central point of the critique…

          “Districts pay thousands in fees to TFA for each corps member in addition to their salaries—at the expense of the existing teacher workforce. Chicago, for example, is closing 48 schools and laying off 850 teachers and staff while welcoming 350 corps members.”

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Yeah, saw that same situation someplace in NC. Laying off teachers while bringing in TFA novices. 5 weeks… Hell, even OCS took a full 90 days for their Wonders.

          2. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            Look at the credentials, experience and education levels of the current Petersburg teachers.

          3. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Won’t get better with tax breaks.

          4. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Petersburg spends more than $13,500 per student per year to operate their school system. That much money should be able to provide their children with a first class education.

            The statewide average is about $12,600 per student. So, at the very least, Petersburg should have a school system that is above average for Virginia.

            Perhaps tax cuts won’t improve the schools in Petersburg, but neither will spending more money.

          5. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Petersburg spends more than $13,500 per student per year to operate their school system. That much money should be able to provide their children with a first class education.

            The statewide average is about $12,600 per student. So, at the very least, Petersburg should have a school system that is above average for Virginia.

            Perhaps tax cuts won’t improve the schools in Petersburg, but neither will spending more money.

          6. Not Today Avatar
            Not Today

            That’s not how funding formulas work. They receive more money to try to equalize/compensate for teaching more students ID’d with disabilities (social/ emotional, developmental and academic). Not just to spend on education overall. Those districts/schools that well exceed the averages do so on the backs of parents oaying $500-1000/pp on music/performing arts, and enrichment. What the state funds is a joke.

          7. Not Today Avatar
            Not Today

            That’s not how funding formulas work. They receive more money to try to equalize/compensate for teaching more students ID’d with disabilities (social/ emotional, developmental and academic). Not just to spend on education overall. Those districts/schools that well exceed the averages do so on the backs of parents oaying $500-1000/pp on music/performing arts, and enrichment. What the state funds is a joke.

          8. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            Nonsense.

    2. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      And then there is this, from the same issue of the Crimson:

      https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/10/23/tfa-fills-role/

      And both opinion pieces are almost 10 years old

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Apparently, TFA peaked that year.

        I hate being so cynical, but whenever someone yells, “I’ve done it! I just killed the last cockroach,” my instincts are to wonder.

        1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          You absolutely never hate being cynical.

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            You wound me. My cynicism is the result of having spent a lifetime around those who think they have THE answer.

          2. Nathan Avatar
            Nathan

            When someone is drowning, I’d greatly prefer someone with THE answer and willingness to jump in and help over the cynic standing on the sidelines, arms crossed, with nothing to contribute except snarky comments.

  4. Not Today Avatar
    Not Today

    TFA teachers are better than nothin’. If that isn’t a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. Or, we could do what every other industrialized nation does and prioritize teaching by putting ACTUAL content experts in front of kids vs. generalists from the earliest grades, people passionate about their subjects, and keep them there by paying them high wages, and then…wait for it…LET THEM WORK free of political interference.

  5. Not Today Avatar
    Not Today

    TFA teachers are better than nothin’. If that isn’t a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. Or, we could do what every other industrialized nation does and prioritize teaching by putting ACTUAL content experts in front of kids vs. generalists from the earliest grades, people passionate about their subjects, and keep them there by paying them high wages, and then…wait for it…LET THEM WORK free of political interference.

  6. Not Today Avatar
    Not Today

    TFA teachers are better than nothin’. If that isn’t a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. Or, we could do what every other industrialized nation does and prioritize teaching by putting ACTUAL content experts in front of kids vs. generalists from the earliest grades, people passionate about their subjects, and keep them there by paying them high wages, and then…wait for it…LET THEM WORK free of political interference.

  7. Not Today Avatar
    Not Today

    TFA teachers are better than nothin’. If that isn’t a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. Or, we could do what every other industrialized nation does and prioritize teaching by putting ACTUAL content experts in front of kids vs. generalists from the earliest grades, people passionate about their subjects, and keep them there by paying them high wages, and then…wait for it…LET THEM WORK free of political interference.

    1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      First, define political interference.

      Second, spell out your plan to execute that system that “every other industrial nation” executes.

      How will Petersburg reach it?

      Finally, what is your real beef with TFA? I’m guessing you never had any contact with the program in operation. Is it philosophical?

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Well, if it uses the word “woke”…

        1. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          You sure you don’t mean “work”?

      2. Not Today Avatar
        Not Today

        I will *not* define ‘woke’ b/c I’m not a proponent or subscriber to the term or concept. As someone who *is* YOU define it.

        Political interference, to me, is elected representatives failing to represent those they were elected to represent IN THEIR ENTIRETY, not just the YEA votes, placing a thumb on the scale of academic content decisions that are in opposition to the majority of experts in any given field of inquiry.

        Your guess is wrong WRT TFA, per usual. My beef with PFA, like charter pimps, is siphoning money away from public schools that accept all kids without, actually, adding value.

    2. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      I’m 100% with you regarding hiring content experts and paying them enough to retain them, but you are dreaming if you imagine that other countries do not experience political interference in their schools.

      Also, one man’s “politics” is another man’s social or moral “necessity”, so who gets to decide what defines political interference?

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Are you talking about content experts in subjects like Reading and Math.. engaging in political interference?

        And if one felt that they actually did, you’d replace them with less qualified folks?

        geeze…

        Sorry, the evidence that such content experts are doing this is pretty slim at best.

      2. Not Today Avatar
        Not Today

        There is no moral ‘necessity’ to teach kids that enslaved people ‘benefited’ from their enslavement.

    3. Nathan Avatar
      Nathan

      Political interference?

      So tell me, would it be wrong for elected officials, tasked with representing their constituents, to weigh in on how this teacher sees her job in the classroom?

      https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1701343971371311378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1701343971371311378%7Ctwgr%5Eb28c66a8e36fcb7b4d9082cc9b8d852e4aa4c3e5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fbrettt%2F2023%2F09%2F11%2Finsane-preschool-teacher-says-she-teaches-her-florida-students-to-be-gay-n2387109

      1. Not Today Avatar
        Not Today

        It’s not wrong for anyone to comment on a teacher’s role in the classroom. It may be ill-advised. It may be bully-behavior, especially when followers are invoked, but it’s not necessarily wrong.

Leave a Reply

Read More