Area Teachers Part of a Record National Corps of 10,000
For Immediate Release
Contact: Danielle Montoya | Teach For America
646.761.2681 | danielle.montoya@teachforamerica.org
HAZARD, Ky., June 19, 2012—Teach For America announced today that it has reached a milestone, as this fall marks the first time more than 10,000 first- and second-year corps members will be teaching in high-need classrooms nationwide. In Appalachia, 50 new and returning Teach For America corps members will be teaching in schools across the region.
Teach For America’s admissions standards remained high this year; together, the 10,000-member corps has an average GPA of 3.55 and includes alumni of more than 600 colleges and universities across the country. At 55 schools the organization is the top employer of 2012 graduating seniors.
“We are thrilled to bring our second corps of teachers to Appalachia,” said Will Nash, executive director of Teach For America in Appalachia. “These 30 new teachers, working alongside our current corps members and veteran educators, are poised to have a real impact on Appalachia’s schools and students.”
This year, Teach For America welcomes its 23rd incoming corps, which numbers 5,800. Thirty-five percent received Pell Grants, and 23 percent are the first in their families to earn a college degree. Ninety-eight served as student-body presidents at their alma mater. And 23 percent are graduate students or professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, including veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, financial analysts, nonprofit staffers, consultants, and participants in other AmeriCorps programs.
“Providing students with access to high-quality educational opportunities is essential to improving the quality of life in southern and eastern Kentucky,” said Congressman Harold Rogers. “The Teach For America 2012 Appalachia corps will ensure that our students are receiving a quality classroom experience and learning from effective leaders and teachers. We are grateful for the time and resources that Teach For America has invested in our region and for the work they have done in providing our students with the tools that they need to succeed in our ever-changing market.”
A rigorous and growing body of independent research demonstrates that Teach For America teachers are well-prepared and effective in the classroom. The latest report, released in February by the University of North Carolina, identified Teach For America as the most effective source of early-career teachers (less than five years of experience) among 12 teacher-preparation programs in the state. Recent studies in Louisiana and Tennessee also found Teach For America to be the most effective new-teacher-preparation program statewide.
“We are proud to support Teach For America’s commitment to bringing an additional source of great teachers to the Appalachia region,” said Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. “Teach For America teachers are an asset to our school communities and are renowned for working alongside our teachers and staff to support student achievement every day.”
In addition to its 10,000-strong teaching corps, Teach For America’s community of nearly 28,000 alumni works across a range of sectors to effect change. Two-thirds of them have made education their career—one-third as classroom teachers and one-third in other roles including principals and superintendents. A total of 75 Teach For America alumni are living and working in Appalachia. A 2011 study by Harvard professor Monica Higgins and the American Enterprise Institute’s Rick Hess found that Teach For America is creating more founders and leaders of education organizations than any other organization or program.
About Teach For America
Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding individuals of all academic disciplines to commit two years to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. This fall, more than 10,000 corps members will be teaching in 46 urban and rural regions across the country, while nearly 28,000 alumni are working across sectors to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education. For more information, visit our website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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