Our People
Corps Members, Alumni, and Supporters
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Aisha Bobb-SempleConnecticut Corps 2009“My students can no longer say that a top university is only for "those" kids.”
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Lia FarnsworthConnecticut Corps 2009“My years as a teacher have shown me how much one can improve from day to day.”
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Chris GentileConnecticut Corps 2010“Provided with equal resources and support, students from all backgrounds can excel.”
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Mark HazelgroveConnecticut Corps 2010“You can have an incredible impact on the students you serve.”
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Jacqueline JohnsonConnecticut Commission on Community Service, Connecticut State AmeriCorps“You can see immediate results that are huge.”
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Eileen WhelleyThe Hartford Financial Services, Inc“Corps members are committed to the success of their students.”
Message from the Executive Director
Edna Novak
As I reflect on the conversations I’ve shared with leaders from education and across a variety of sectors over the past five years, I've noticed a significant shift in how we talk about creating the strongest teaching force possible in Connecticut. We've helped overhaul teacher evaluation systems and our alternative teacher certification program, and recent legislative changes as a result of Race to the Top and emerging programs in Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven have already shown promising progress for students in our low-income communities.
After just five years, there are now 175 Teach For America • Connecticut corps members teaching in traditional and charter public schools in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford. They join nearly 400 Teach For America alumni working in education and other fields to help bring a quality education to all students in Connecticut. The progress we've made so far with the help of leaders at the district and state level proves that we can dramatically change the life prospects of our state’s low-income students within a matter of years, not decades. As Teach For America becomes a central force in the movement to close Connecticut's achievement gap, we need more leaders working both within the education system and across all levels of government.
Edna Novak was a 2002 Greater New Orleans corps member. She taught third grade and middle school math, and led her students to improve by an average of two grade levels in math and 1.5 grade levels in reading. In 2004, she first joined Teach For America's full-time staff as a recruitment director, achieving 180% growth in applications from math majors, 35% growth in applications overall, and 25% growth in event attendance at the 14 universities where she recruited over her two years in the role.
Edna is a graduate of Wellesley College and earned her MBA from the Yale School of Management in 2008. While attending Yale, she organized the Yale Education Leadership conference and become deeply involved in the Connecticut education reform community, affirming her commitment to changing the landscape of education for kids growing up in poverty across the state. She has served as the executive director of the Connecticut region since 2008.
REGIONAL NEWS
Stay informed about the latest news on Teach For America • Connecticut and the state of education reform in the region.
CONTACT US
Teach For America • Connecticut
142 Temple Street, Suite 303
New Haven, CT 06510
p 203-786-5498
f 203-786-5497
Edna Novak, Executive Director
Proud AmeriCorps program. For more information visit the Corporation for National & Community Service or the Connecticut Commission on Community Service.












Teach For America was named one of Fortune magazine's top 100 employers to work for.
Teach For America was named one of America's top 100 Ideal Employers in Universum's 2011 American Student Survey.