Area Teachers Part of a Record National Corps of 10,000
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kaitlin Gastrock | Teach For America
646.315.1396 | kaitlin.gastrock@teachforamerica.org
McALLEN, Texas, 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 the Rio Grande Valley, 80 new Teach For America corps members will be teaching in schools across the region. These new teachers represent a 30 percent increase over last year’s entering corps. In all, 145 Teach For America corps members will be working in the Valley’s high-need public schools in the coming year, collectively reaching more than 13,000 students.
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—including Southern Methodist University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of California-Berkeley, Howard University, and Yale University—the organization is the top employer of 2012 graduating seniors.
“We are thrilled to bring this year’s corps of committed teachers to the Valley’s highest-need classrooms and to continue building the community of education leaders for our region,” said Robert Carreon, executive director of Teach For America in the Rio Grande Valley. “These 80 new teachers will join our current corps members, alumni and other school partners in working tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of Valley students today and for generations to come.”
This year, Teach For America welcomes its 23rd incoming corps, which numbers 5,800. Thirty-eight percent of these first-year teachers identify as people of color, including 13 percent who are African American and 10 percent who are Hispanic. 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.
“The importance of Teach for America in the Rio Grande Valley is deep-seated with a presence in fifteen schools last academic year. TFA has become an educational icon in America for students to receive the education they need to reach their full potential in a collaborative, enlightening experience for not only the students, but the corps members as well,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo). “The future of our country is the sum total of a good educational foundation from teachers who are inspired to make a difference for our youth who then make a difference in our nation. I am pleased the 2012 Rio Grande Valley will welcome new teachers who are committed to our community. I know their hard work and dedication will touch lives in their classrooms, and I wish each member of the 2012 corps the best of luck.”
“I’m a long time supporter of Teach for America and its goal of bringing quality educational experiences to children regardless of their economic circumstances,” said Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. “I am very happy to learn Teach for America is expanding in the Rio Grande Valley. Every child deserves a chance to succeed.”
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.
In addition to its 10,000-strong teaching corps, Teach For America’s community of nearly 28,000 alumni work 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 160 Teach For America alumni are living and working in the Valley, more than 90 percent of whom work full-time in public education. 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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