Charter Teaching Corps to Expand Educational Opportunity in the Ocean State
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kaitlin Gastrock | Teach For America
(646) 315-1396 | kaitlin.gastrock@teachforamerica.org
PROVIDENCE, R.I., May 24, 2010—Teach For America announced today that 35 of the organization’s new teachers will come to the state this fall to teach in the Providence Public School District and at Democracy Prep Charter School. These local teachers are among more than 4,500 new Teach For America corps members nationwide, the largest incoming corps in the organization’s 20-year history.
The 35 new Teach For America corps members in Rhode Island will reach approximately 2,200 students. These corps members were chosen through a highly selective process that attracted a record 46,000 applicants. At more than 120 colleges and universities, more than 5 percent of the senior class applied, including 12 percent of all seniors at Ivy League universities and 13 percent of seniors at Brown University. The applicant pool also included more than 20 seniors from Providence College.
“I’m excited that a number of graduates from area schools will be staying in Rhode Island to help improve the educational opportunities available to our students,” said Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist. “The leadership and dedication of these new Teach For America teachers are key to the state’s commitment to prepare all students to succeed in college and in their careers.”
“We are humbled by the opportunity to work with amazing partners, schools, students and their families in Rhode Island this year,” said Heather Tow-Yick, executive director of Teach For America in Rhode Island. “Our 35 new teachers will work tirelessly to learn from their peers and administrators within their school communities to make a difference in the lives of our students and impact educational opportunity for years to come.”
Teach For America, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, will place more than 8,200 first- and second-year corps members in 39 regions across the country this fall. Rhode Island is one of Teach For America’s four new regions for 2010, along with Alabama, Detroit, and San Antonio.
“We are proud to have played a part in bringing Teach For America to Rhode Island,” said Neil D. Steinberg, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. “The energy and talent of these new teachers, combined with the dedication of Rhode Island’s experienced educators, will enhance the educational opportunities of Rhode Island schoolchildren statewide.”
This year’s incoming corps members have an average GPA of 3.6 and 89 percent held a significant leadership position. The fastest-growing segments of the corps are graduate students and professionals seeking to have an immediate impact in education. Twenty-eight percent of incoming corps members received Pell Grants. Almost one-third are people of color, including 7 percent who are Hispanic and 11 percent who are African American, which is more than double the percentage of African American graduates at the colleges where Teach For America primarily recruits.
A growing body of rigorous research demonstrates the effectiveness of Teach For America teachers. A new study from the University of North Carolina compares the effects on student achievement of graduates from the UNC teacher-preparation system with teachers from other pathways, including Teach For America. At every grade level and subject studied, students taught by Teach For America corps members did as well as or better than those taught by traditionally prepared UNC graduates. Middle school math students of Teach For America teachers received the equivalent of an extra half-year of learning.
“We have empirical data that proves the enormously positive impact that Teach For America teachers have on their students,” said Erskine B. Bowles, the president of UNC. “Imagine how it changes the life of a young person who gains up to an extra half-year of learning for every year they are in the class of a Teach For America teacher. I couldn't be a bigger fan. We are working hard to scale the Teach For America model in our schools of education.”
The new corps members will join nearly 40 Teach For America alumni in Rhode Island who are working from within education and other professional sectors to expand opportunities for students and families in low-income communities. Of the 20,000-plus Teach For America alumni nationwide, two-thirds remain in education, including 450 who are school principals or superintendents.
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. This fall, more than 8,200 corps members will be teaching in 39 regions across the country, while more than 20,000 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 www.teachforamerica.org.
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