For decades, a quiet revolution has been taking place in the Greater Los Angeles public schools. Today, more than twenty years after Teach For America began placing teachers in the community, our moment for transformation has arrived. With visionary district leadership and an unprecedented focus on teacher effectiveness, we have an opportunity to help create ground-breaking reform in the nation’s second-largest school system.

Teach For America • Los Angeles plays a vital role in this effort. In the same neighborhoods where inequities persist, some of the highest-performing schools are led by our 50+ alumni school leaders, and staffed by our more than 600 corps member and alumni teachers. As a result, we reach more than 40,000 students every day. We are continuing to build a diverse movement of educators and civic leaders who will be a sustainable, long-term force for change in our community.

The challenge remains large with more than 300,000 students still attending failing schools. Still, I am motivated by the belief that the Los Angeles public education system, once considered the “best in the West,” can live up to its calling. The Teach For America community is committed to providing a critical infusion of talent and leadership into education that will enable us to deliver excellent results for students and families.