Teach For America announced today that Terry Bruner has been named executive director of Teach For America-Houston
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kaitlin Gastrock | Teach For America
646-315-1396 | kaitlin.gastrock@teachforamerica.org
HOUSTON, February 3, 2010—Teach For America announced today that Terry Bruner has been named executive director of Teach For America-Houston. In this role, Bruner will be responsible for overall program management, development, and fostering the impact of Teach For America teachers in Houston’s traditional and charter public schools. Bruner is filling the vacancy left by Ann Best, who now serves as deputy superintendent of human talent for the Houston Independent School District.
Bruner brings a wealth of experience to the executive director role. He is a lawyer by training, practicing most recently at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He taught fourth grade language arts in HISD as a 2002 Teach For America corps member at Clemente Martinez Elementary and at the TSU Laboratory School. Bruner’s professional experience also includes positions on Capitol Hill, and military service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“We welcome Terry Bruner to Teach For America-Houston and look forward to continue working with this outstanding organization to bring greater educational opportunity to Houston’s classrooms and help build future generations of leaders for our city,” said Marvin Odum, president of Shell Oil, a leading sponsor of Teach For America-Houston.
Bruner is a graduate of Howard University and holds a master’s degree from Cambridge University and a law degree from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
“I’m incredibly honored to take on this role with Teach For America-Houston,” Bruner said. “Educational inequity is the civil rights issue of our time. As a former teacher, I know that all children can learn at the highest levels when they are given the educational opportunities they deserve. I firmly believe that we can reach the day when the achievement gap no longer exists in our city.”
Teach For America has been placing teachers in Houston since 1991. In the current school year, more than 450 Teach For America corps members are teaching approximately 33,000 Houston students in traditional and charter public schools.
Beyond their corps experience, nearly two-thirds of Teach For America alumni remain in education, with nearly 450 serving as school leaders across the country. In the Houston area, 26 school leaders are among the 700 Teach For America alumni working within education and other professional sectors to level the playing field for students and families in low-income communities.
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, 7,300 corps members are teaching in 35 regions across the country while 17,000 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.
Copyright 2012 Teach For America, Inc. All rights reserved
Teach For America logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Teach For America, Inc.
Teach For America was named one of America's top 100 Ideal Employers in Universum's 2011 American Student Survey.
Teach For America was named one of Fortune magazine's top 100 employers to work for.
Teach For America thanks our National Partners for their generous support.