We host online events on a variety of topics that feature current corps members, alumni, staff, supporters, and employer and graduate school partners who share their experiences and answer your questions through a live chat.
Civil Rights in the Classroom: The Past, Present, and Future of Race and Education in the U.S.
Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Time: 8:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Description:
In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that schools must provide an equal education to both white students and students of color, though segregation still remained legal. Five decades later, the decision in Brown v. Board of Education required the desegregation of schools. Despite this decision, however, we not only have high levels of school segregation in 2012, but two states -- Florida and Virginia -- are setting student achievement goals based on race. State leaders now officially expect Black and Latino students to perform at lower levels than Asian and White students. Now, the Supreme Court will have another chance to impact education in the United States when it reaches a decision on the pending case of race-based college admissions at the University of Texas. Please join us on Tuesday, January 8th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time for a discussion of the complicated history of the struggle for equality in education, where we stand today, and what the stakes are for the future. Our panel will feature Dr. Sheneka Williams, Saba Bireda, and Justin Reid. Dr. Williams is currently an Assistant Professor of Educational Administration and Policy at the University of Georgia, where her research interests include race-conscious student assignment policies and policy that examines issues of equity and access in public schools. Ms. Bireda is a policy and legal advisor for EducationCounsel LLC -- a law, policy, strategy, and advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. that is committed to expanding access to educational opportunities. Mr. Reid is the Associate Director at the Moton Museum, which is Virginia’s sole Civil Rights Movement-related National Historic Landmark. This museum is housed on the site of the Moton Student Strike, which led to one of the five cases that comprised Brown v. Board of Education.
The African-American Achievement Gap and the Potential for Additional Impact
Date: Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Time: 8:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Description:
The statistics are staggering: If you are from a low-income community in the United States, you have a higher chance of going to jail than of getting a four-year college degree. For every 100 African-American children growing up in California, only 9 will graduate from college. These statistics are not due to lack of potential; rather, they are the direct result of the lack of educational opportunities in this country for our highest-need students. For children growing up in low-income communities, educational inequity imposes heavy and often tragic life consequences. For example, high school dropouts earn 50% less than those who do graduate from high school and are eight times more likely to go to prison. We need educators in the classroom serving not only as a physical representation of the fact that one can be a successful African-American, but also acting as mentors with the full capacity to understand the economic and cultural implications of growing up black in America. Please join us on Wednesday, January 9th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time to learn more about the achievement gap in America and how it disproportionately affects our African-American students. Additionally, you will hear directly from Teach For America alumni about how corps members are positively influencing these communities in our nation and how their shared racial background enables them to have a profound additional impact on their students. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions of the alumni.
The Latino and Hispanic Achievement Gap and the Potential for Additional Impact
Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Time: 8:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Description:
The statistics are staggering: students from low-income communities in the United States have a higher chance of going to jail than of getting a four-year college degree. Latinos make up 18% of the college-aged population, yet represent only 6% of the graduates at the top 400 colleges and universities. Only 13% of Latino adults have received a Bachelors degree – compared to 31% of Caucasians, 50% of Asian-Americans, and 18% of African-Americans. These statistics are not due to lack of potential; rather, they are the direct result of the lack of educational opportunities in this country for our highest-need students. For children growing up in low-income communities, educational inequity imposes heavy and often tragic life consequences. For example, high school dropouts earn 50% less than those who do graduate from high school and are eight times more likely to go to prison. We need educators in the classroom serving not only as a physical representation of the fact that one can be a successful Latino or Hispanic, but also acting as mentors with the full capacity to understand the economic and cultural implications of growing up Latino or Hispanic in America. Please join us on Tuesday, January 15th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time to learn more about the achievement gap in America and how it disproportionately affects our Latino and Hispanic students. Additionally, you will hear directly from Teach For America alumni about how corps members are positively influencing these communities in our nation and how their shared racial background enables them to have a profound additional impact on their students. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions of the alumni.
Graduate Students and Professionals in the Corps
Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Time: 8:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Description:
Join us to learn more about Teach For America and the corps experience from Teach For America alumni who joined the corps following graduate school and/or professional work experience. Our panel will feature Andrea Mendez (Phoenix, 2007) -- who worked on Teach For America's recruitment staff before becoming a corps member -- and Jessie Wagner (Philadelphia, 2005) -- who was a college admissions counselor before entering the classroom with Teach For America. Jessie is currently working at Western Michigan University as a career advisor and part-time instructor, and Andrea now works as the Operations Director at a Harlem Village Academies school in Harlem, New York. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the mission of Teach For America and the basics of the application process and corps experience, as well as to ask questions of the alumni.
The Crisis in STEM Education
Date: Thursday, January 17, 2013
Time: 8:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Description:
The United States' position as a global leader in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is in jeopardy. Compared with peers from 34 developed countries, American students rank 25th in math and 17th in science. In an increasingly complex and competitive world, this is a serious threat to both our domestic health and international productivity; these students’ livelihoods will be challenged well into the 21st century when, according to the National Math and Science Initiative, 60 percent of the new jobs created will require STEM skills currently possessed by only 20 percent of our workforce. This will leave the United States short as many as 3 million highly-skilled workers by 2018. Additionally, children growing up in low-income communities are significantly less likely to have opportunities in STEM. Currently, nearly 8 percent of white students in this country will take the AP calculus exam, while only about 3.5 percent of black and Hispanic students will do the same. This serves as an urgent reminder that the current state of STEM education in our country must be reformed. Join us on Thursday, January 17th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time for a discussion of the challenges of STEM education, the potential solutions, and the severe implications for our world if we do not close the opportunity gaps within these subjects.
Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders and the Potential for Additional Impact
Date: Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Time: 8:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Description:
Join us on Tuesday, January 22nd at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time for a discussion of the history and culture of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the United States; the myth of the model minority; and the challenges that many AAPI students face in our nation’s low-income schools. You will hear directly from Teach For America alumni about how corps members are positively influencing these communities in our nation and how their shared racial background enables them to have a profound additional impact on their students. Our panel will feature Gary Cheng (Houston, 2004) -- currently a lead enrollment specialist at Reasoning Mind, a non-profit seeking to improve math education in the United States -- and Anh Phuong Tran (Los Angeles, 2006) –- a member of the Board of Directors at Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) and a School Board Fellow at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE).
Graduate Students and Professionals in the Corps
Date: Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Time: 8:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Description:
Join us to learn more about Teach For America and the corps experience from Teach For America alumni who joined the corps following graduate school and/or professional work experience. Our panel will feature Lauren Harshbarger (Miami, 2009) -- who served as a creative director and producer for a digital media company before joining the corps -- and Andrea Mendez (Phoenix, 2007) -- who worked on Teach For America's recruitment staff before becoming a corps member. Lauren is currently serving as the Executive Director of Human Resources for Miami-Dade County Public Schools after three years in the classroom, and Andrea now works as the Operations Director at a Harlem Village Academies school in Harlem, New York. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the mission of Teach For America and the basics of the application process and corps experience, as well as to ask questions of the alumni.
Lead Now Speaker Series: Jose Ferreira, Founder and CEO of Knewton
Date: Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Time: 8:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Description:
Lead Now is a series of national online conversations with leaders who are fundamentally expanding educational opportunity. Our speakers represent the many sectors essential to tackling most social issues -- entrepreneurship, education, technology, and business. Join this 2013 Lead Now Speaker Series event featuring Jose Ferreira, Founder and CEO of Knewton -- a technology company that uses data to personalize online learning content for individual students. Discover the leadership qualities that Jose developed to create change on a national scale -- qualities that you can apply to leadership challenges in any context. Register now, or visit the Lead Now page to learn more about Jose Ferreira and our other Lead Now speakers.
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