City wants to expand 'Teach for America' program

Alonso seeks funding to pay for more first-year college graduates

By Liz Bowie

 

 

The Baltimore school system has asked Teach for America, which sends thousands of recent college graduates into public schools around the nation, to nearly double the number of teachers it puts in city classrooms in the next two years if enough private money can be raised.

The ambitious plan would supply about 150 first-year teachers to classrooms from pre-kindergarten through high school next fall and in 2010, up from 90 this school year. Because Teach for America participants commit for two years, the number would rise from about 170 this year to 300 by 2010.

While that number still represents a tiny fraction of the 6,000-member teaching force in the city, school and Teach for America officials say the reach of the program extends far beyond the two years that the program's teachers are in the classroom. Some of those who began in the 1990s are now principals, administrators and leaders in reforming the city schools. Others from the program's teaching ranks are working in education nonprofit groups.

"I think of [Teach for America] as almost an instrument of reform in the district, in that the mission and the commitment of the partners is very much in line with the thrust of the reforms we are putting in place," said schools chief Andrés Alonso. "We have surveyed principals that have used TFA before, and 97 percent would hire more if they could."

 

But the plan to bring 150 new recruits to Baltimore might be hampered by a lack of funding, said Omari Todd, director of the program's Baltimore office. The program will need $3.8 million to train and support that many first-year teachers for their two-year commitment (the city schools pay the teachers' salaries); it has raised all but $500,000, which it needs by the end of June. If the group cannot raise enough money, it will redeploy the teachers to other school systems. Alonso is taking steps to try to raise the money.

Teach for America participants come from some of the nation's best colleges. This year, 35,000 college seniors applied for 4,100 teaching jobs, making it almost as difficult to get into the program as it was to get into the college of their choice. And the work will be challenging. Teachers must complete a master's degree in education during their two years in the program.

Nationwide, 11 percent of the students graduating from Ivy League schools applied to the program and, locally, 5 percent of the Johns Hopkins University and 6 percent of Loyola College spring graduates applied, according to data released last week by Teach for America. While a poor economy might have contributed to the 45 percent increase in applications, the program's spokeswoman, Kay Anuluoha, said many of the new teachers are joining because of a growing interest in public service.

Kyle B. Ali graduated from the University of Missouri this month and would like to run for political office some day, but he said he decided that he should find out firsthand about the issues facing urban schools.

"If I really wanted to go into a public office, I needed to get down on the front lines and experience some of the issues I was talking about," he said.

The 23-year-old, who grew up near Chicago, will be teaching social studies in a Baltimore high school by August, but in the meantime he will spend five weeks in teacher training in Philadelphia.

Ali said he hopes to stay in education after his two-year commitment, some day rising to become a principal or superintendent.

His biggest concern about the coming year, he said, is not becoming discouraged. "I am going to have to embrace the small successes," he said.

The program has received some criticism nationally for placing smart college graduates, who might be using Teach for America as a stopover before entering another career, into low-income urban schools where students might do better with seasoned professionals.

Research over the years has shown that students with first-year teachers do not learn as much.

However, a 2008 Urban Institute study found that Teach for America members were, on average, more effective than regular teachers, even those who were more experienced. A recent follow-up to the study this year confirmed the findings in a larger sample of teachers.

Baltimore school data showed, Alonso said, that middle and high school students taught by Teach for America participants outperformed the students in the rest of the district even though the program's teachers were assigned to schools with the neediest students.

And here in the city, more of those members seem to be staying. About 650 to 700 teachers have been placed in the city in the 17 years since the program was started here. Of those, about 360 are still in Baltimore and 72 percent are still working or studying in education, Todd said. Twelve are principals.

The increase in teaching slots this fall has required an enormous fundraising effort to reach the needed $3.8 million, Todd said. The program spends about $20,000 per teacher to provide continuing support and training, and much of that must be raised. Two businesses, T. Rowe Price Group and Legg Mason Inc., have increased their contributions to $200,000 and $100,000, respectively, while local foundations also give to the program. The school system contributes $850,000.