National Nonprofit Joins Local Effort to Expand Educational Opportunity For Students in San Antonio Public Schools
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kerci Marcello Stroud | Teach For America
917-734-4847 | kerci.marcellostroud@teachforamerica.org
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, December 14, 2009— Teach For America announced today that it will expand to San Antonio, with plans to bring 100 top college graduates to teach in the area’s highest-need schools for the 2010-11 school year and 100 additional teachers in each of the following two years. The organization, which will place teachers in the San Antonio Independent School District, received a warm welcome from Mayor Julián Castro, SAISD Superintendent Robert J. Duron, SAISD Board of Trustees President James Howard, and other key local supporters during the announcement at J.T. Brackenridge Elementary School.
“For 20 years, Teach For America has brought highly effective teachers into some of our country’s highest-need classrooms, and I am thrilled that we will now see the impact of their efforts here in San Antonio,” Superintendent Durón said. “The leadership and commitment of Teach For America’s teachers and alumni will help fuel our efforts to provide all students with the educational foundation they need to succeed in college and in their careers.”
“We are working with a great sense of urgency to ensure that all of our students have access to an excellent education, and I am pleased that Teach For America’s dedicated teachers will join us in this effort,” SAISD Board President James Howard said. “Adding these specially recruited teachers to an already outstanding cadre of educators will give SAISD the fuel necessary to provide a quality education to the children of this city.”
Teach For America is the national corps of top college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for two years in under-resourced schools and become lifelong leaders in the pursuit of educational equity. This year’s 4,100 new corps members earned an average GPA of 3.6, and 89 percent held undergraduate leadership positions. They were selected from a record pool of 35,000 applicants, including 11 percent of seniors at Ivy League schools, 8 percent of seniors at Rice University, and nearly 350 seniors at UT-Austin.
Teach For America selected San Antonio based on the community’s compelling vision of how the organization’s presence will help to close student achievement gaps; the existence of a feasible alternate route to teacher certification; district partners’ commitment to placing a critical mass of corps members across the range of subject areas and grade levels; and community support that will enable Teach For America to fund the new site in a sustainable way.
“We’re excited to build on the ongoing efforts in San Antonio to expand educational opportunity and excellence for all children,” said Wendy Kopp, founder and chief executive officer of Teach For America. “We are tremendously grateful for the broad-based support we have received from leaders in the San Antonio school district, community groups, local philanthropists, and the state of Texas, and this generosity will enable us to establish a new pipeline of dedicated teachers and education leaders for the city.”
A broad coalition of supporters made Teach For America’s expansion to San Antonio possible. H-E-B, The Ewing Halsell Foundation, The Harvey E. Najim Family Foundation, Pat and Tom Frost Foundation and Frost Bank, The Greehey Family Foundation, NuStar Energy L.P., The USAA Foundation, and Zachry Group, Inc., are among those who contributed early and strong support. The Texas legislature also provided significant funding to support Teach For America’s expansion to San Antonio and the organization’s ongoing work in Dallas, Houston, and the Rio Grande Valley.
"We are pleased to be a part of our community's effort to bring Teach For America to San Antonio," said Charles Butt, chairman and CEO of H-E-B. "Our city's future depends on the quality of the education we provide for our students today. It's our hope that adding these talented young people to the many excellent SAISD teachers presently in the district will help us make real and lasting change in our education system and in our city."
A growing body of rigorous research demonstrates that Teach For America corps members are highly effective in the classroom. An Urban Institute study published in 2008 and updated this year found that high school students taught by Teach For America teachers have a positive effect on student achievement relative to other teachers, including experienced teachers, traditionally prepared teachers, and those fully certified in their field. The updated study is available at www.caldercenter.org/upload/TFA_final_v-March-2009.pdf.
Teach For America's local certification partner will be the Texas Teaching Fellows. All area Teach For America corps members will have the opportunity to enroll with the Texas Teaching Fellows program to obtain their state teaching certification and pursue a master of arts degree in teaching.
Beyond their impact as corps members, Teach For America alumni continue to advocate for children and families in low-income communities as public school teachers, principals, and leaders across all professional fields. Some two-thirds of the 17,000 Teach For America alumni across the country are working full-time in education, and one-third continue as excellent classroom teachers. Nearly 450 Teach For America alumni serve as school principals or superintendents, more than 500 work in government or policy, and almost 30 serve as elected officials.
Remarks from Local Leaders
“Teach For America has a rich history of bringing top college graduates from the nation’s premiere universities into poverty stricken schools. I’m grateful for the hard work of my friend, Charles Butt, and am delighted to learn that Texas can now boast our fourth Teach For America location. The investment we make in our children’s education today is of critical importance. With Teach For America’s expansion into San Antonio, many more children will be granted opportunities they may have otherwise never known.”
– U.S. Senator Hutchison
“Teach For America is one of those great organizations that delivers real results in every community it serves. I am proud that San Antonio will join the deserving list and I’m confident that the qualified Teach For America faculty and staff will assist in providing a better education for our students. With this expansion into San Antonio , we are sending the message to our children that we are committed to their education and to their future, so that the community may benefit as a whole.”
-U.S. Congressman Charles Gonzalez
“A solid education is the foundation for a healthy society. Without it, our communities suffer lower incomes, a degraded quality of life and a bleak future. By partnering, we can help ensure that children have the resources and support they need to succeed in school and life. I applaud Teach For America for their efforts to make our youth a priority.”
—U.S. Congressman Rodriguez, who represents the 20 counties of the 23rd Congressional District
“Teach For America has a long track record of excellence and success in schools here in Texas and across the country, and it is wonderful to now welcome the program to San Antonio. Teach For America will be a valuable partner in our on-going efforts to improve educational opportunities for all Texas students.”
—Texas House Speaker Joe Straus
"Investing in education is key to maintaining our state's strong economy and giving every Texan the opportunity to be part of it. Teach For America will strengthen our effort to recruit our best and brightest to teach at struggling schools."
—State Rep. Mike Villarreal, Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
“To keep San Antonio a vibrant and productive city, we must come together as a community to provide every student with an outstanding education. I am pleased to have Teach For America as an additional partner in this effort, and I look forward to welcoming the organization’s committed teachers into our classrooms next year.”
—Mayor Julián Castro
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.
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