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Teach For America Expands Innovative Pilot to Help Bridge Digital Divide
About Our CEO
Elisa Villanueva Beard
Phoenix '98
Chief Executive Officer
Teach For America
Elisa is the CEO of Teach For America. Under her leadership, the organization impacts nearly 400,000 students each year in some 2,000 schools. Her journey with TFA started in Phoenix, where she taught first and second grade bilingual education as a 1998 corps member.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find the answers to frequently asked questions about Teach For America and our work.
Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a diverse network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. Read more about what we do.
Educational inequity is a systemic problem that requires systemic solutions. Like successful systems change efforts in the past, it will require a broad coalition working inside and outside the system to challenge the status quo by demonstrating what’s possible. Teach For America is fueling this coalition with leaders from every background who are working in our education system and all the fields that shape it to expand opportunities for students. These leaders get close and stay close to the problem, and they are committed to driving educational equity and excellence in their lifetime.
Read more to learn more about our approach.
Teach For America has a 28-year track record of advancing educational excellence and equity in the United States through our network of remarkable and diverse leaders working to expand opportunity and access for all children. Read more to learn about Teach For America's impact.
Teach For America uses the following key factors in determining placement: availability of teaching positions across the nation for the upcoming school year; subject and grade-level needs of our school and district partners; hiring requirements, including undergraduate coursework credits required for each position and regional certification requirements; and corps members' regional and teaching subject preferences.
Corps members teach in one of Teach For America's 51 regions. Learn more about where corps members teach.
Teach For America helps corps members become strong classroom and community leaders, through a rigorous summer training program and extensive coaching, professional development, and other resources throughout the corps experience. Learn more about corps member training.
Each state has different requirements and rules around teacher certification. Teach For America regional staff members work with corps members to make sure these requirements are met prior to teaching. Read more about where we work and the requirements and rules around teacher certification for each region.
Teach For America secures local contributions from businesses, foundations, government organizations, and individuals in the regions where corps members teach. In addition, we receive national funding from corporations and foundations, individuals, and the federal government. In FY16, 78 percent of funds raised came from regional supporters, the remainder coming from national funders.
Download our most recent Annual Report to view a list of our supporters and learn more about our funding.