University senior and English major Tami Daley wants to make a positive difference in the lives of children, which is why she is eager to spend two years teaching in one of the nation’s low-income schools as part of the Teach For America program.
“I am absolutely ecstatic about the opportunity to teach kids who need it,” she said.
Teach For America is an Americorps program that recruits recent college graduates from all majors to commit to two years of teaching in urban and rural under-resourced public schools across the country.
At least 25 other University students attended an informational meeting about Teach For America last week in the EMU.
Chosen applicants, known as “corps members,” are placed in one of the 15 rural and urban sites across the country, from New York to California, to teach in understaffed and impoverished communities.
“The experience is an eye-opener to me,” said Brett Wilson, a University graduate and current corps member. “I came from a middle-class white school that had lots of money and good teachers, but what you see is that education is not like that for the majority of students in this country.”
Wilson chose to continue teaching for an extra year after his two-year commitment ended. He is not alone: According to TFA statistics, about half the corps members go on to teach a third year. Wilson is currently teaching languages and literature to third graders in an elementary school in Oakland, California.
“When you first start, you are learning as you go,” he said. “It’s like learning how to fly a plane by taking off.”
Applicants are not required to have any previous teaching experience, and according to recruitment operations manager Dennis Chiuten the majority of people who apply are not education majors and have never taught before.
“We usually pick people who wouldn’t ordinarily decide to go into teaching,” he said. “This adds to the pool of outstanding individuals who want to make a difference.”
Senior Lindsay Slechta attended the meeting and said she is planning to apply to this year’s program. Slechta is a psychology major and plans to become a school counselor.
“I was so excited when I found out about the program,” she said. “I have a little brother who learns things slower, so I know what it is like for these kids to need these teachers.”
Before corps members begin teaching at their sites, they are required to go through a five-week intensive training course in Houston during the summer.
During the first week, the teacher trainees learn different tools and class management techniques, and by the second week, members are in the classroom teaching in Houston summer high school and elementary school programs. In the evenings, they attend teaching seminars.
“It is intense, but it is good solid training,” Chiuten said. “Some people have said that the TFA training is more effective than masters courses.”
Corps members rank their preferences by city, and Chiuten said approximately 85 percent of members receive their first choice. Once placed at a school, members receive the same salary and benefits as the other teachers in their schools. After completion of the two-year period, they receive a stipend of about $9,500, which can be applied to past loans or future graduate school tuition.
Last year, the program received 24 applications from University graduates, ranking it third among the 60 West Coast schools that participate in the program.
And while many people apply, not everyone is accepted.
According to Chiuten, only about 25 to 33 percent of the applicants are accepted, and many who apply are from prestigious colleges on the East Coast.
“We look for people who display outstanding achievements academically and extracurricularly,” Chiuten said.
While most members do not become lifetime teachers, wherever they go after the program, they have the background and experience in education, Chiuten said.
“They have seen the severe problems with education in this country and will be lifelong advocates of promoting education,” he said.
Application deadlines are Oct. 30, Jan.16, and Feb. 26. Applications can be picked up at the Career Center or the Office of Multicultural Affairs, or can be downloaded from the Teach for America Web site at www.teachforamerica.org. More informational meetings should be held on campus within the next year.