San Antonio
About Us
Steeped in a rich cultural history exemplified by the World Heritage Site San Antonio Missions, the Alamo City has its eye on the future and designs on how to shape it. San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States because of its attractiveness to both the tech and business industries and its small-town feel. With a myriad of organizations devoted to community growth and enrichment, San Antonio’s level of community engagement sets an example for the nation.
Teach For America is among those working towards a better tomorrow for San Antonio.
Over the past ten years, we have brought over 750 teachers to work in San Antonio’s inner city and it’s currently a home to over 450 Teach For America alumni. In addition to the many teachers that remain in the classroom, TFA alumni serve on school boards, manage local nonprofits, and lead schools as principals and administrators. Alumni also work in a variety of private industries throughout San Antonio, including the law and medicine. In only a few short years, the TFA network has become a force for transformation.
Our Opportunity
San Antonio is the seventh most populous city in the United States, but maintains a small-town feel. Demographers point to the city’s population as an indicator of the future for the United States. San Antonio is now where Texas will be in a decade and where the U.S. will be in 20 to 30 years. Since San Antonio is ahead of the curve, it has an opportunity to be a model for how the rest of the country can transform education to meet the needs of changing demographics.
Unlike other large cities, San Antonio does not have a single traditional school district. Instead, it’s home to over 17 different school districts. The barriers between these districts formed due to inequitable systems that separated communities by race and class. Today, San Antonio has the infamous designation as the most economically segregated city in the United States according to the Pew Research Center. The urban core is home to disproportionate percentages of students of color and students growing up in poverty. Indeed, San Antonio ISD (SAISD), the school district in the heart of downtown San Antonio, serves a 97 percent Latino and African American student body, 93 percent of which are considered economically disadvantaged. Students growing up in the urban core face significant and persistent challenges that impact their ability to obtain an equitable education.
In recent years, transformation in San Antonio has been driven, in part, by a growing desire for innovation. An increase in innovative school models including in-district magnets, and charter schools has allowed for more autonomy and creativity in the construction of educational experiences for our students. Many of these schools, powered and led by the talent of our corps members and alumni, have demonstrated proof of what is possible for youth who have been dismissed for generations.
“I educate in San Antonio because I understand that there is a need to uplift all communities and I am passionate about creating possibilities for our students that are beyond the lines of economic segregation.”
Our Work
In 2010, thousands of people in San Antonio gathered around tables to discuss and determine the city’s top priorities and create a vision for what the San Antonio of 2020 could become. Together, our community identified 11 “cause areas” and created the SA2020 vision. The area that rose to the top over and over again was education.
In the same year the community created SA2020, Teach For America San Antonio launched. Over the last eight years, Teach For America has been a partner in advancing education in three key ways.
1. Accomplishing extraordinary results on alumni- and corps member-led campuses
1. Accomplishing extraordinary results on alumni- and corps member-led campuses
KIPP U-Prep, led by alumni Abigail Morton Garland, is the only campus in central Texas providing an International Baccalaureate program for all students. The Advanced Learning Academy is an unprecedented public-private partnership with a dramatically altered approach to student leadership. KIPP Poder, in it’s third year, has a leadership staff filled with alumni and is one of the top performing middle schools in the KIPP Texas Network. And finally IDEA campuses at Monterey Park, South Flores, and Carver each have a 100 percent college acceptance rate. Additionally, San Antonio corps members and alumni are consistently recognized among the top performing educators within the district.
2. Providing bold leadership and driving critical reforms
2. Providing bold leadership and driving critical reforms
Without question, a key driver of many education initiatives changing the status quo and galvanizing the city toward change has been the bold leadership of Teach For America corps members and alumni. You can find TFA fingerprints across all critical reform efforts in the city including: DoSeum, PK4SA, KIPP, IDEA, Leadership SAISD, SA Rise, Relay, The Holdsworth Center, and many more.
3. Providing thought leadership focused on equity
3. Providing thought leadership focused on equity
One of our proudest contributions has been reframing city discourse on the roots of educational inequity. We have seen our community’s dialogue turn away from a narrative that scapegoats parents and communities, and instead it seeks to understand and identify systemic racism as the root cause of educational inequity. Our partnerships with top experts in the field have fueled how we train corps members, positioning them to make the biggest impact in the classroom. Additionally, we have been able to lift the messages of our experts to decision-makers in the community. These efforts have shaped the turnaround efforts of the SAISD Superintendent and shaped the way the city of San Antonio allocates funds.
Living and Teaching Here
Living and Teaching Here
While San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the nation, it feels like a familia. There’s something for everyone and when there’s a gathering, everyone attends! The low cost of living and broad options for food and entertainment make San Antonio a place you can’t beat. Below are some other considerations to help you decide if San Antonio is a good fit for you.
Neighborhood Highlights
Corps Member Hotspot: Mi Tierra Café and Bakery
As the neighborhood with the fun choices of high-rise apartments and lofts, Downtown San Antonio also boasts some of the city’s most famous tourist attractions, excellent shops, nightlife spots, and restaurants. The San Antonio River snakes lazily here through the heart of the city, proving great locations to jog, stroll, or sight-see with friends.
Corps Member Hotspots: The Friendly Spot, Madhatters & La Tuna
San Antonio’s King William District, a part of Southtown, wears many hats: old, new, and hip just to name a few. What was once an elegant 19th-century neighborhood left to decay has been revitalized with new art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. Living accommodations include historic single family housing and scattered apartment complexes.
Corps Member Hotspots: La Panaderia, Snooze, Max’s Wine Dive & Florio’s Pizza
Though not technically a San Antonio neighborhood, the incorporated City of Alamo Heights is appealing place for many corps members to live in San Antonio. Comfortable single-family homes and apartments are within walking distance to the fun boutiques, antique stores, and restaurants which dot the streets in this thriving business district.
Corps Member Hotspots: Gallo Pizzeria, Panifico Bake Shop & YATZiL Mexican Restaurant
With its rich history and welcoming atmosphere, it is no wonder many families love to live in this area. It is in the inner west side of town and filled with many local family-owned restaurants. The community pride seeps out of every crevice of this neighborhood. The Spurs' flags and other art decorate many houses during basketball season. Corps members live in cozy houses and have a yard to show your San Antonio pride.
Corps Member Hotspots: The Cove, La Botanica & Candlelight Café
This charming little neighborhood is located just north of Downtown and is centrally located within SAISD. Many of the older homes here have been renovated into multiple housing units, making them fun affordable options to share with multiple housemates. N. Saint Mary’s Street’s eclectic mix of bars and cafés satisfies both foodies and night owls alike.
Corps Member Hotspots: Pasha’s Mediterranean Grille, Taqueria Data Point & Snopioca Taiwanese Shaved Ice and Bubble Tea
Conveniently located near Six Flags Fiesta Texas, UTSA, and the South Texas Medical Center, this area is a bustling hub of restaurants and shopping centers that cater to all wallet sizes and tastes. The abundant selection of townhomes, condos, and duplexes make this a great choice for corps members with families.
Corps Member Hotspots: Tucker’s Kozy Korner, Alamo Beer Company & Toro’s Tacos
According to the Dignowity Hill Neighborhood Association, this area is steeped in history, and named after Dr. Anthony Michael Dignowity, a Czechoslovakian immigrant who was a public official, medical doctor, and abolitionist who immigrated to the U.S. in 1831. There are a lot of lively night spots with live music and good eats.
Corps Member Hotspots: Pearsall Park
This is a spacious area where lots of families, both military and non-military, live. There have been many additions to this community—the new Pearsall Park stretches across 505 acres and offers both fitness and recreational amenities as well as space for group gatherings. A new YMCA will be built in the next year.
Local Leadership
Nick Garcia
New York '05
Executive Director
Teach For America San Antonio
Nick has played an integral role in San Antonio since 2013, leading multiple teams at Teach For America before assuming the role of executive director.
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