St. Louis Leaders to Head Public School Classrooms During Teach For America Week

National Event to Raise Awareness of Educational Inequity Brings Local Business, Community and Political Leaders into Local Schools as Guest Teachers

For Immediate Release

Contact: Masharika Maddison | Teach For America
917-836-7365 | masharika.maddison@teachforamerica.org

ST. LOUIS, February 17, 2011— Over 50leaders from across the St. Louis metro area will serve as guest teachers during Teach For America Week, to be held February 22 - 25. Confirmed participants include U.S. Representative William Lacy Clay (MO-1); Missouri Representative Steven Tilley (MO-106); Virginia McDowell, CEO, Isle of Capri Casinos; and Steve Lipstein, President and CEO of BJC Healthcare. 

Teach For America Week draws community leaders nationwide to support educational excellence for all children. These volunteers will visit the classrooms of Teach For America teachers, also known as corps members, and teach lessons based on their experience in business, politics, and beyond. An annual event since 1997, Teach For America Week will take place in 19 regions across the country in 2011. “We’re excited about the broad range of leaders participating in Teach For America Week this year,” said Scott Baier, executive director of Teach For America in St. Louis. “By sharing their expertise in classrooms across St. Louis, these accomplished individuals will make a lasting impression on hundreds of students and help to focus attention on the importance of providing all children with the educational opportunities they deserve. We are inspired by the record breaking number of participants from the community in this year’s event.”

Teach For America is the national corps of top recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to expand educational opportunity. Teach For America’s network includes 8,200 corps members teaching in 39 regions and a national force of 20,000 alumni at the forefront of efforts to end educational inequity.

This year in St. Louis, 190 Teach For America corps members are reaching more than 13,000 students in the public schools in St. Louis, Normandy and Hazelwood, while some 290 alumni are working from every sector to level the playing field for students and families in low-income communities. Four Teach For America alumni are principals in the St. Louis area: Nathalie Means, Jefferson Elementary School; Lisa Nuyens, L’Ouverture Middle School; Jeremy Esposito, KIPP Inspire Academy; and Stephanie Krauss, Shearwater Academy. 

Maxine Clark of Build-A-Bear will teach in Kevin Steger’s class at Bel-Ridge Elementary on February 25. A graduate of the University of California-Irvine, Steger is in his first year of teaching. “I’m looking forward to returning as a guest teacher during Teach For America Week and working with the class on learning about the concept of measurement through the creation of a fictional retail space that my partner teacher, Kevin Steger, is planning,” said Ms. Clark, who is participating in the event for a 3rd year. ”Thanks to the inspiration from the teachers I had growing up, I am a successful business person today. It’s inspiring to see up-close the real and lasting impact of Teach For America teachers and alumni in our schools and communities."

A growing body of rigorous research demonstrates the effectiveness of Teach For America corps members as classroom teachers. A 2008 Urban Institute study updated in 2009 found that corps members have a positive effect on student achievement relative to other teachers, including experienced teachers, traditionally prepared teachers, and those fully certified in their field. An earlier study by Mathematica Policy Research Inc. found that students of corps members make more progress in a year in both reading and math that would typically be expected, and attain significantly greater gains in math compared with students of other teachers, including veteran and certified teachers.

Schedule for confirmed guest teachers (full list can be shared through contacts below):

Jeffrey Bonner, President of the St. Louis Zoo
Sumner High School, Wednesday, February 23, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Maxine Clark, Chief Executive Bear and Founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop
Bel-Ridge Elementary, Friday, February 25, 11:00 a.m. - 12 p.m.

U.S. Representative William Lacy Clay (MO-1)
Vashon High School, Friday, February 25, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Shep Hyken, Author of Moments of Magic, The Loyal Customer, and The Cult of the Customer
ComptonDrew Middle School, Friday, February 25, 12:45 p.m.- 1:55 p.m.

Missouri Representative Timothy Jones (MO-89)
HazelwoodEast High School, Friday, February 25, 7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.

Steve Lipstein, President and CEO of BJC Healthcare
Herzog Elementary, Tuesday, February 22, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Bill McClellan, Columnist of St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Stevens Middle School, Thursday, February 24, 8:35 a.m. - 9:35 a.m.

Virginia McDowell, CEO of the Isle of Capri Casinos
Compton Drew Middle School, Thursday, February 24, 11:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.

Missouri Representative Steven Tilley (MO-106)
Sumner High School, Thursday, February 24, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Jack Galmiche, President and CEO of The Nine Network of Public Media
Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, Thursday, February 24, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

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 8,200 corps members are teaching in 39 regions across the country while 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.