Sharing an article March 10 2014

Teach for America: there I said it. Whether you like it or not it is here, and working in a neighborhood near you so please pay attention.

“Teach For America to Pilot Yearlong Teacher Training, Retention Efforts”

“Teach For America plans to provide a year of up-front training for a subset of its new teacher recruits—and put more of an emphasis on teaching for longer than the group's two-year requirement, the organization's leaders announced in a speech.”

“The two pilot programs, outlined March 4 by TFA co-CEO Matt Kramer during a "What's Next for TFA" address in Nashville, Tenn., mark the organization's biggest shift in internal policy since its founding in 1990.”

“TFA recruits typically receive a five-week "institute" in which they learn basic teaching methods, followed by two years of on-the-job support while they fulfill their teaching commitment. The new pilots will cost about $16 million over four years.”

“"We've come a long way. I think there's a lot for us to be proud of," Kramer said to an audience that included about 1,000 alumni and supporters attending in person or watching online. "At the same time, there is much more to do. We need to keep our minds open to change and innovation as we continue to find new and better ways to do right by kids. .... Teaching beyond two years cannot be a backup plan; it has to be the main plan."”

Read the whole thing here: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2014/03/tfa_to_pilot_yearlong_training.html?cmp=ENL-EU-MOSTPOP

So what are your thoughts on this program and its future? Is there a way it can work alongside traditional teacher training? Is there a way to retain these teachers beyond their two-year contract?

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam