Teaching Profession Collection

New Realities: TFA at 25

TFA at 25

Teach For America marks its 25th anniversary this year. Conceived in an undergraduate thesis in 1989, the controversial teaching organization now commands a budget of some $300 million and has 40,000 alumni, many of whom have become been influential leaders in K-12 education. But the group has also faced criticism and internal challenges. In this special package, we look at recent changes TFA has embarked on as it enters a new era and the questions they raise about its model, impact, and future course.

Teaching Profession 25 Years of TFA Growth: A Regional Map
TFA began by placing fewer than 400 teachers in eight cities. Now, it places thousands each year across 52 different regions.
January 15, 2016
Teaching Profession Teach For America by the Numbers
Charts outline year-by-year data on TFA's budget, applicants, corps size, and corps members' two-year completion rates.
January 15, 2016
Teaching Profession Milestones in TFA's 25-Year History
The interactive timeline below highlights key turning points in the organization's development.
January 15, 2016
Teaching Profession Teach For America: Growing More Diverse
Chart shows the percentage of incoming Teach for America Corps members by diversity and gender.
January 15, 2016
History teacher Derrick Sanders, a first-year Teach For America corps member in Dallas, congratulates his students on a job well done. TFA marks its 25th anniversary this year amid a host of new initiatives that raise questions about its future course.
History teacher Derrick Sanders, a first-year Teach For America corps member in Dallas, congratulates his students on a job well done. TFA marks its 25th anniversary this year amid a host of new initiatives that raise questions about its future course.
Brandon Thibodeaux for Education Week
Teacher Preparation At 25, Teach For America Enters Period of Change
Among other new initiatives, the famously protective organization has quietly begun devolving more authority to its 52 regions, some of which are pushing the boundaries of the group's model.
Stephen Sawchuk, January 15, 2016
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17 min read
Fourth-year high school Spanish teacher Natasha Escobar is attempting to gain “model” teacher status in Baltimore, in part through a local TFA support program for corps alumni.
Fourth-year high school Spanish teacher Natasha Escobar is attempting to gain “model” teacher status in Baltimore, in part through a local TFA support program for corps alumni.
Matt Roth for Education Week
Teaching Profession TFA Tests Waters on Improving Retention
A number of TFA's regions are experimenting with strategies for extending corps members' tenure in teaching beyond two years.
Stephen Sawchuk, January 15, 2016
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5 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Pilot Gives TFA Recruits Pre-Training in Cultural Competency
The Education for Justice program, taken by select TFA candidates during their senior year of college, is based on feedback from principals, parents, and teacher educators.
Stephen Sawchuk, January 15, 2016
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4 min read
Zeke Cohen, executive director of the nonprofit the Intersection, works with a student at Bard High School Early College in Baltimore. Cohen says his experience in TFA was crucial to his decision to start his student-advocacy organization.
Zeke Cohen, executive director of the nonprofit the Intersection, works with a student at Bard High School Early College in Baltimore. Cohen says his experience in TFA was crucial to his decision to start his student-advocacy organization.
Matt Roth for Education Week
Teacher Preparation Outside the Classroom, TFA Leaves Increasingly Complex Political Trail
The organization is putting a greater emphasis on equity and racial issues, even as its bona fides as a social-justice organization are fiercely contested.
Stephen Sawchuk, January 15, 2016
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10 min read
Teacher Preparation Video At 25, TFA Bridges Teaching Generations
Teacher Wanda Troutman was a member of Teach For America’s original 1990 corps. Alejandro Diasgranados entered teaching through TFA in 2015. We asked them to talk about their experiences in teaching and the way the organization has changed in 25 years. Education Week Video
January 14, 2016
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Vol. 35, Issue 18