Teach for America: Fierce Competition for Recent Grads
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Getting a spot these days with Teach for America may be just as hard as getting an acceptance from an Ivy League school, reports The New York Times. Recent grads from universities around the country--even the top ones--are facing limited options with this economy, and the appeal of a position with Teach for America has grown. In 2007, about 18,000 people applied. This year saw a record 46,359 applicants; 4.500 were accepted. Not surprisingly, the non-profit hired more seniors than any other employer at a number of colleges, including Yale, Dartmouth and Georgetown.
"[Alneada Biggers, Harvard class of 2010,] says that of 15 to 20 Harvard friends who applied to Teach for America, only three or four got in. “This wasn’t last minute — a lot applied in August 2009, they’d been student leaders and volunteered,” Ms. Biggers said. She says one of her closest friends wanted to do Teach for America, but was rejected and had to “settle” for University of Virginia Law School.
"Will Cullen, Villanova ’10, had a friend who was rejected and instead will be a Fulbright scholar."
And it's not a bad gig. Along with the cachet of having Teach for America on your resume, it's a guaranteed paycheck for two years at a starting teachers salary.
But despite the allure, education experts are not convinced of the program's effectiveness, reports the Times:
“I’m always shocked by the hullaboo, given Teach for America’s size” — about 0.2 percent of all teachers — “and its mixed impact,” said Julian Vasquez Heilig, a University of Texas professor. Dr. Heilig and Su Jin Jez of California State University, Sacramento, recently published a critical assessment after reviewing two dozen studies. One study cited indicated that “by the fourth year, 85 percent of T.F.A. teachers had left” New York City schools.
“These people could be superstars, but most leave before they master the teaching craft,” Dr. Heilig said.
So how about it, YPs: Did you do Teach for America? Did you use the program as leverage to get into grad school or are you pursuing a career in education?
(Photo credit: Presidential Inaugural Committee; C.C. 2.0)
