Everyone is surprised to learn about the size of Connecticut’s achievement gap, including people in Connecticut. In a state known for its historic educational strength, tremendous wealth, and enclaves of power, the heartbreakingly low achievement of students in urban pockets of poverty is shocking. However, the conditions that make this achievement gap so embarrassing also make the prospect of eliminating it so feasible. The tangibility of seeing this state move from last to first, in a matter of years, not decades, fuels a growing movement of education reform and drives the work of a corps committed to being a part of that change.
| Quick Stats |
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| Site Since: 2006 |
| Corps Size: 110 |
| Average yearly temperature: 51.7 ° |
| Car: Access to car is essential |
Salary: See cost of living  |
Life in Connecticut offers corps members both the excitement and vibrancy of a metropolitan area and the distinct pleasures of small-town New England. Changing seasons, beautiful coastlines, rolling mountains, and expansive farmland make this a truly beautiful place to live. Meanwhile, Connecticut’s cities are busting with diverse and perhaps surprising cultural opportunities. Both residents and visitors enjoy the exceptional restaurants and unique coffee shops, with legendary pizza and hot java as particular specialties. Every week brings new options to enjoy theater, world-class museums, concerts, movies on the green, farmers-markets, athletic events, arts and music festivals, eclectic lecture series, and dance opportunities for all tastes. In addition, with New York City and Boston easy train rides away, even more is just steps away.
The benefits of small-city living also include many opportunities to become deeply involved in our communities; corps members serve on district and city committees, join non-profit boards, participate in local politics and quickly become significant leaders in the reform movements in the region.
Teach For America currently places corps members in Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven Schools. Corps members have the opportunity to share their city preferences in a specific Connecticut placement preference survey after they are accepted to the corps and we do everything we can to honor interests. Final placements are shared after the corps is matriculated in late spring but, regardless of district assignment, corps members find travel between the cities easy and many commute to their schools.
With Connecticut’s major cities undergoing revitalization efforts over the past five years, corps members enjoy many housing options including renovated historical houses, converted industrial buildings, and newly constructed apartment complexes. Favorite neighborhoods include the West End in Hartford, East Rock, Wooster Square and Westville in New Haven and Downtown Bridgeport.
Given the current opportunities and challenges in educational reform at this time, being a part of the Connecticut education system right now is very special. The Teach For America Connecticut corps, now in its second year of operation, is 115 strong, working in over 56 schools and reaching over 10,000 (out of approximately 120,000) students from low-income communities. The Teach For America Connecticut corps is a on a mission to close the achievement gap by ensuring students achieve dramatic academic gains every year.
Being part of the Connecticut corps means being part of a team. Corps members work closely with each other, regional team members and our growing alumni movement towards incredibly ambitious goals. The corps is an especially bonded group and the youth of the region affords corps members opportunities to shape corps culture, present and future, and assume positions of significant leadership in this growing region and movement.
Connecticut corps members come together often throughout the year for professional development opportunities including four regional conferences throughout the year, monthly content seminars, issue-based workshops and biweekly support dinners for first year corps members during the first three months of the school year. Outside the structures of the regional program, corps members regularly plan together, share lesson plans and strategy ideas and, often living together, serve as each other’s primary source of support. Corps members also come together regularly for social events including happy hours, apple-picking, bowling leagues, holiday parties, hikes and bike rides, community service projects and state explorations.
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