The old saying goes, ‘Those who can’t do, teach.’

Teach for America (TFA) has been defying this old axiom since the organization was founded in 1990. The national program puts recent college graduates into the classrooms of low-income communities as teachers.

These graduates simultaneously teach in the classroom and work to solve what TFA refers to as ‘our nation’s greatest injustice’ – educational inequity.

The Feb. 15 deadline is approaching for the next round of admissions to the program, and TFA has specific requirements the applicants must meet.

Student applicants are expected to have a 2.5 minimum grade point average, a bachelor’s degree in any field, and they must be U.S. citizens or have national or permanent residence status.

‘The distinction I always explain to people is that it’s very selective, but it’s not competitive, and that’s because the demand is so great,’ said Lindsey Ciochina, the New York recruitment director and former corps member.

‘There is a lot weighing on each person that does join TFA,and we want to be confident that every person is going to be able to make significant gains with their students,’ Ciochina said. ‘Students selected for TFA are required to remain in their location for a minimum of two years.’

The organization’s Web site offers a few mission statements, one being, ‘Of the 13 million children growing up in poverty, about half will graduate from high school. Those that do graduate will perform on average at an eight-grade level. You can change this.’

Despite the organization’s good intentions, many critics accused TFA of having ambitions that reach beyond students’ needs.

The New York Times Magazine published an article last September that offered several reasons why TFA isn’t as noble a program as it seems. Among them was a glaring statement about close relationships with the likes of Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. For this reason, critics pass TFA off as a coincidentally perfect resume builder and networking tool.

Ciochina viewed the criticism in a different way.

‘I think for people interested in going into business long term, yeah, that’s certainly a perk, right? But at the same time, we want our alumni and people who have taught going into all different fields,’ she said.

Kendra-Lee Rosati, a 2006 graduate of SU and current corps member, said she was offended by the accusation.

‘I did it because I have a very deep passion for education,’ Rosati said.

As for the resume boosting factor, Rosati said, ‘Please, there are easier ways to boost your resume than joining TFA,’ she said. ‘This is the most challenging job that any of us will ever have.’

Naysayers also point to TFA’s slim training program – a five to seven-week course that aims to prepare corps members to teach for the length of their placement.

‘I did feel ready to take on my own classroom, and teaching is a profession in which you get so much better by doing,’ Ciochina said. ‘I mean, talking about teaching is very difficult to learn how to do it unless you’re actually looking at a kid.’

Kathryn Oscarlece, coordinator of field placements at the School of Education, disagreed.

‘Basically, the problem with TFA is the fact that they’re making a very broad, sweeping generalization that everybody can teach,’ she said.

The SoE and schools like it spend four years giving students as much classroom experience as possible.

TFA offers a seven-week program at most.

The main problem here is the lack of teachers for schools in low-income communities, and TFA is working to solve this puzzle, said Sarah Dane, a senior policy studies major who will soon begin her time in the corps.

According to the TFA Web site, 17,000 people have participated in TFA, affecting the lives of more than 2.5 million students.

‘A lot of times, these are the school districts that don’t have teachers in those positions, don’t have willing candidates, and I’m one of those willing candidates. That’s why I think Teach for America works,’ Dane said.

Published on January 30, 2008 at 12:00 pm