Bay Area
About Us
A stark reality exists for too many students in low-income communities here in the Bay. Only nine students in 100 will graduate from college. Pivoting away from a world of luck to a world where every student has access to opportunity is the challenge Teach For America corps members, alumni, and partners are taking on across the Bay Area.
And there is reason to believe this is possible.
The last decade has seen a surge in the number of schools closing the achievement and opportunity gap for students locally and across the country. We have 50 schools locally who are defying the odds for Latinx and Black students from low-income backgrounds.
We now have an entire generation of practitioners who have experienced what it looks like—year after year—to graduate 100 percent of their students, and to have more and more of their students graduate from four year colleges. All of these insights and perspectives are informing our lessons about what it will take to accelerate progress. These insights help make it easier:
- to amplify the voices of parents who are demanding great schools for their kids
- to inform policy that’s more responsive to the needs of our students and families
- to allow the next generation of school leaders to make an impact
We are proud to be part of this growing coalition of leaders collectively refusing to accept the status quo and holding higher expectations for our community schools and systems.
“When we have outcomes that are as low as we have for low-income kids, I think that’s educational malpractice. And I feel a deep commitment to change that.”
Our Community
Change is happening across the Bay Area.
Take Richmond, for example. Over two decades ago, the Richmond Unified School District went bankrupt and planned to close all of its schools. Concerned parents, led by Tom Butt, had to sue California to keep the schools open, which required the state to lend the district $29 million. At a 5.7 percent interest rate, however, the district continued to struggle. To help turn the tides, Wendy Gonzalez, a concerned first-year teacher, and others marched to Sacramento on a hunger strike to lower the rates. Even with lowered rates, Richmond became the first district in California—and possibly the nation—to be taken over by the state.
After 21 years of receivership, the district has successfully repaid all of its debt and renamed itself the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD).
Currently, Teach For America alum Matthew Duffy (New York Corps '95) leads WCCUSD as superintendent. He works closely with our United Teachers of Richmond (UTR) President Marissa Glidden (Bay Area Corps '13).
Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) has been named the most improved urban school district in the state of California. Longtime community organizer Ron Snyder, executive director of Oakland Community Organizations, believes the bonds Teach For America corps members and alumni have forged with the community have played a vital role in Oakland’s burgeoning turnaround. “They began to work with teachers and parents,” he says of their efforts, “house to house, school to school, church to church—creating an appetite for improvement."
From Oakland to Richmond, South Bay to San Francisco, the Bay Area is ripe for corps members like you to pull up their sleeves and work in tandem with leaders in the community to answer the question, “What does a quality education look like for all students in this community?”
Our
260
corps members teach in more than 100 Bay area schools.
In our corps,
76%
identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and 69% come from a low-income background.
More than
3400
alumni live and work in the Bay, including 1,000 in schools.
Our
260
corps members teach in more than 100 Bay area schools.
In our corps,
76%
identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and 69% come from a low-income background.
More than
3400
alumni live and work in the Bay, including 1,000 in schools.
“For many of us, what started as a two-year commitment has turned into a lifelong mission. Whether in the classroom, or in union and system leadership, or work in education technology, you see a passion among our alumni to do whatever it takes to eliminate the inequities our children face every day.”
Living in The Bay Area
The Bay Area is home to approximately 7 million inhabitants spread out across 101 cities within 6,900 square miles filled with mountainous land, beaches, and world-renowned bridges. The geographic scale grants our Bay Area corps members the opportunity to explore and teach in 54 traditional schools and 53 charter schools within Richmond, Oakland, San Francisco, and South Bay.
One of our favorite things about the Bay Area is the cultural wealth that the many residents bring to the land. This rich diversity translates into incredible experiences through art, food, dance, festivals, and more!
“You can find me all the way south enjoying the delicious Vietnamese food of San Jose, the nightlife in Oakland, the hip and vibrant scene of Berkeley, or the beautiful sites and parks of San Francisco.”
Neighborhood Highlights
Corps members teach in Oakland, Richmond, and South Bay. Learn about some of the unique neighborhoods they and their students call home.
Fruitvale is a neighborhood in east Oakland, California. Located about two miles southeast of Lake Merritt, this area became a center for the Chicano Movement in the late 1960s and 70s. The community has a solidly preserved and vibrant Hispanic culture. Fun fact: The name (originally Fruit Vale) comes from the many fruit orchards which dominated the area in the late 19th century.
The Lake Merritt neighborhood sits at the center of the city, offering both a bustling commercial center and the eponymous sparkling lake. Residents of this neighborhood can be found running around the stunning waters, perusing Oakland’s largest indie bookstore, or movie-watching at the Grand Lake Theater. Fun fact: In 1870, Lake Merritt was the United States’ first official wildlife refuge!
The Iron Triangle is a densely urban neighborhood located in Richmond, California, where three major railroad tracks define its triangle-shaped boundaries – hence the name! Although the centrally located area is largely residential, it includes the downtown Richmond business district along Macdonald Avenue, where the Teach For America Richmond office is located. Fun fact: The Iron Triangle, often times called the heart of Richmond, is celebrated in the novel Richmond Tales by Summer Brenner.
North & East, also known as Central Richmond, is a pleasant Richmond, California, neighborhood filled with charming bungalow homes and shady trees. An affordable alternative to similar neighborhoods in other East Bay communities, N&E offers residents proximity to all the parks, beaches and waterfront activities, as well as a wide choice of nearby retail centers. The Catahoula Café and Coffee Roasting Company is a treasured cafe in the area, and the local library's monthly book sale, the Natural Food Store, a skate park, Angelo’s Gourmet Deli, and the abundant choices between authentic Mexican restaurants are all just some of the beloved community hotspots. North & East has a lively neighborhood council that distributes newsletters and hosts social events.
The Portola and the Excelsior are two adjacent neighborhoods in the Southeastern part of the city. As they are close to many of our schools, they are popular neighborhoods for corps members to live in. Portola/Excelsior are very family-oriented communities with decade-long immigrant culture roots.
“It's such a treat to live here because there are so many delicious Chinese bakeries and street food restaurants.”
- Austen Coles (Bay Area 2016)
Many corps members teach and live in The Mission, the oldest neighborhood in the city. With easy access to public transportation (MUNI and BART) you can easily connect to many other neighborhoods in the San Francisco from The Mission.
I love the Mission because there is so much art, delicious Mexican food, and several parks that people bring their dogs to.
- Elena Sullivan (Bay Area 2017).
In the past, East Side San José was known for its high concentration of orchard fruit—and therefore received the name the Valley of the Heart's Delight. It is remains very unique area with a large Latinx population. Many corps members choose to live in this area as it is home to many of the schools we lead. Home to the Mexican Heritage Plaza and Cesar Chavez’s house, East Side is where you can truly ground yourself in the rich history and fight for justice in San José. Another perk: pan dulce.
Located between Story and Tully roads, Little Saigon is the epicenter of Vietnamese culture in San José (with incredible pho). This area of San José is home to many Asian American immigrant families. These individuals successfully fought to keep their community name during a time when city proposed the name “Vietnam-town.” Similar to the fight to conserve their culture, Little Saigon community members’ resilience and perseverance is present their fight to ensure its students get the opportunity they deserve.
- Alameda
- Albany
- Berkeley
- El Cerrito
- Emeryville
- Milpitas
- San Leandro
- Sunnyvale
Local Leadership
Beatrice Viramontes
Bay Area '08
Executive Director
Teach For America Bay Area
Beatrice Viramontes is a longtime champion for our students and their families and a coalition builder who believes deeply in the power of communities to envision and realize a more just and equitable world.
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With support from our generous donors, we recruit, train, and develop teachers to expand learning opportunities for kids in the Bay Area.