60 New Teach For America Teachers Join Local Efforts to Expand Educational Opportunity

JACKSONVILLE, June 27, 2011—Teach For America announced today that 60 new teachers will teach in Jacksonville beginning this fall. With the addition of these teachers, 110 corps members in total will be working in high-need public schools in Jacksonville in the 2011-12 school year, collectively reaching roughly 7,000 students.

These 60 new teachers are among Teach For America’s new national corps of 5,100 teachers who are top graduates from colleges and universities across the country. These corps members represent a wide variety of personal and academic backgrounds and professional experiences. One-third identify as people of color, including 12 percent who are African American and 8 percent who are Hispanic. Twenty-two percent are the first in their family to graduate from college, and nearly one-third received Pell Grants. Twenty-three percent are graduate students or professionals.

“We continue to see great results from Teach For America corps members working in Jacksonville, and I am thrilled to welcome an additional 60 to our district this fall,” said Ed Pratt-Dannals, superintendent of Duval County Public Schools. “Principals throughout the district tell me they are impressed with the Teach For America corps members at their schools, who work with other teachers and administrators to ensure that their kids have the opportunities to excel academically. Research shows that a critical factor in raising student achievement is to have an effective teacher in every classroom, and partnering with Teach For America gives us another source of talented teachers.”   

This year, nearly 48,000 individuals applied to Teach For America, and 14 percent were accepted. Applicants included 12 percent of seniors at Ivy League schools, 6 percent at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, 5 percent at the University of Florida, and 3 percent at Florida State University.

“I am pleased that Teach For America will be bringing some of our nation’s top college graduates into Jacksonville’s classrooms this fall,” said Congressman Ander Crenshaw. “Our children’s future success depends on the education they receive today, and innovative programs like Teach For America are helping us ensure that our students are well-prepared to meet the challenges ahead.”

A growing body of rigorous research demonstrates the effectiveness of Teach For America corps members in the classroom. Recent studies from Louisiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee found that corps members have a positive impact on student achievement. The Tennessee study identified Teach For America as the most effective of the state’s 42 teacher-preparation programs, with corps members demonstrating a greater impact on student achievement than the average new teacher in every evaluated subject area.

“I’m excited to welcome our newest class of corps members to Jacksonville,” said Crystal Jones, executive director of Teach For America’s Jacksonville region. “I know that these new corps members, building on the great foundation laid by other veteran educators and past Teach For America corps members, will work exceptionally hard to improve the academic outcomes of their students come this fall. In addition to supporting our corps members to ensure that they are effective in the classroom, we will continue to support our alumni, many of whom are staying in Jacksonville and working to expand opportunities for kids and families in our city.”  

School leaders give Teach For America corps members high marks. Ninety-four percent of principals nationwide who employ corps members report seeing a positive impact in the classroom. 

Teach For Americais building a strong pipeline of leaders in education. Two-thirds of Teach For America alumni are working full-time in the field, with more than 550 alumni serving as school principals or school system leaders. In addition, many alumni are launching innovative efforts to expand educational opportunity.

About Teach For America

Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. Today, more than 9,000 corps members are teaching in 43 regions across the country while nearly 24,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity. For more information, visit http://www.teachforamerica.org.