Fidelity Investments® Executives Became Teachers For A Day In Teach For America Classrooms

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Kaitlin Gastrock | Teach For America
646-315-1396 | kaitlin.gastrock@teachforamerica.org

BOSTON, May 07, 2012—Fidelity Investments® senior executives went back to school this week to serve as guest teachers in the classrooms of Teach For America teachers, known as corps members, in local public schools. Participants included Sheila Cavanaugh, Senior Vice President, Community Relations; Mike DiBiase, Senior Vice President, Government Relations; Rick Metters, Vice President, Community Relations; and  Peter Nikitas, Senior Vice President, Fidelity Institutional Services Business Group.   

“We’re excited to have Fidelity’s leaders join our corps members’ classrooms as guest teachers,” said Josh Biber, executive director of Teach For America in Massachusetts. “By sharing their expertise in classrooms across the Boston area, these accomplished individuals are making a lasting impression on hundreds of students and helping focus attention on the importance of providing all children with the educational opportunities they deserve.”

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 over 9,000 corps members teaching in 43 regions across the country and a national force of nearly 24,000 alumni at the forefront of efforts to end educational inequity.

This year in Massachusetts, 160 Teach For America corps members are reaching some 11,000 students in underserved schools while more than 1,000 alumni are working from every sector to create opportunity for students and families in low-income communities.

Michael DiBiase taught a lesson on political science in Ravneet Grewal's class at Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester on Wednesday, April 25. Ravneet, who earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and a Masters in Urban Planning at Harvard University, is in her first year of teaching.

“The students in Ravneet Grewal’s class are curious, talented hard-working scholars with some budding political scientists in the group,” said DiBiase, who participated in the event for the second time. “It’s inspiring to work side-by-side with a Teach For America teacher and see the positive impact corps members and alumni have in our schools and communities."

A growing body of rigorous research demonstrates the effectiveness of Teach For America corps members as classroom teachers. Recent studies from Louisiana, North Carolina and Tennessee found that corps members have a positive impact on student achievement. The Tennessee study identified Teach For America as the most effective of the state’s 42 teacher-preparation programs, with corps members demonstrating a greater impact on student achievement than the average new teacher in every evaluated subject area.

Schedule for guest teachers:

Mike DiBiase, Senior Vice President, Government Relations at Fidelity
Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, Wednesday, April 25
Lesson topic: Mr. DiBiase taught a lesson to on the political spectrum and the process of passing legislation.

Peter Nikitas, Senior Vice President, Fidelity Institutional Services Business Group at Fidelity
Dearborn Middle School, Wednesday, April 25
Lesson topic: Mr. Nikitas’ lesson compared the life of a teenager in ancient Rome with the experience of a modern teenager.

Rick Metters, Vice President, Community Relations at Fidelity
Boston Collegiate Charter School, Friday, May 4
Lesson topic: Mr. Metters’ lesson addressed ethical issues around the use of violence, a topic that is currently being examined in the students’ literature class.

Sheila Cavanaugh, Senior Vice President, Community Relations at Fidelity
Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, Friday, June 1
Lesson topic: Ms. Cavanaugh will read a story aloud and then lead class discussion.

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. Today more than 9,000 corps members are teaching in 43 urban and rural regions across the country, while nearly 24,000 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. 

About Fidelity Investments

Fidelity Investments is one of the world’s largest providers of financial services, with assets under administration of $3.7 trillion, including managed assets of $1.6 trillion, as of March 31, 2012.  Founded in 1946, the firm is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing and many other financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals and institutions, as well as through 5,000 financial intermediary firms.  For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.fidelity.com.

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