McAllen, Texas, November 18, 2021—Greater Texas Foundation awarded Teach For America a $400,000 grant as part of its Math for Success goal, which aims to create and promote math pathways for Texas students. 

Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding leaders who make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity. Funding from Greater Texas Foundation will support Teach For America’s work to evolve and optimize its math teacher training-and-support programming across four regions in Texas: the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Through the grant, Teach For America educators will develop the knowledge and skills needed to accelerate student learning. Both Teach For America and Greater Texas Foundation are invested in increasing the number of Texas students who have access to excellent and affirming math education  that prepares them to successfully complete a postsecondary degree or certificate. 

"High-quality, inclusive math instruction is vital to improving college readiness for students from all backgrounds. That's why we're excited to partner with Teach For America so they can prepare teachers to meet the needs of all their students," said Sue McMillin, President and CEO of Greater Texas Foundation.

The grant will also help TFA ensure that its math educators have high-quality professional training and development that prepares teachers to: maintain rigorous instruction to meet and exceed state learning standards; tailor instruction to the specific academic, social and emotional needs of their students; and equip students with lifelong skills and habits. Long-term, Teach For America will use learnings from this grant to better understand what conditions are necessary for teachers to build math classrooms that drive toward equity. 

“Proficiency in math is incredibly important for student success, and, in order for students to learn to their fullest capacity, they need to deal with the trauma of having lived through a pandemic; see their voices, cultures, and values reflected in their curriculum; and have teachers who prioritize their wellbeing and self-confidence as part of building their academic knowledge,” said Robert Carreon, Vice President of Public Affairs for Teach For America Texas. “As such, Teach For America is focused on ensuring that its educators know how to support their students academically and socio-emotionally; teachers must be skilled in both in order to make gains in any subject, including math.” 

About Teach For America

Teach For America works in partnership with 350 urban and rural communities across the country to expand educational opportunity for children. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding leaders who make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity. Today, Teach For America is a force of over 64,000 alumni and corps members working in over 9,000 schools nationwide in pursuit of profound systemic change. From classrooms to districts to state houses across America, they are reimagining education to realize the day when every child has an equal opportunity to learn, lead, thrive, and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

About Greater Texas Foundation

Greater Texas Foundation is a private foundation based in Bryan, Texas, that supports efforts to ensure all Texas students are prepared for, have access to, persist in, and complete a postsecondary education. Since its 2001 inception, the foundation has approved more than $115 million in grants to support Texas students. For more information, visit www.greatertexasfoundation.org.

Contact: Rachel Tennenbaum

408.250.2877

rachel.tennenbaum@teachforamerica.org