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    "ocrText": "FOIA Number: 2013-0661-F (2)\nFOIA\nMARKER\nThis is not a textual record. This is used as an\nadministrative marker by the William J. Clinton\nPresidential Library Staff.\nCollection/Record Group:\nClinton Presidential Records\nSubgroup/Office of Origin:\nNational Service\nSeries/Staff Member:\nRick Allen\nSubseries:\nOA/ID Number:\n2149\nFolderID:\nFolder Title:\nTeach for America [1]\nStack:\nRow:\nSection:\nShelf:\nPosition:\nS\n66\n2\n2\n2\nClass Action\nWhat Clinton's national service program\ncould learn from Teach for America\nby Jonathan Schorr\nF\nor a guy who isn't known for making short\nWendy Kopp (with whom Clinton met during\nspeeches. President Clinton can pack a lot\nhis Rutgers visit) and kicked off in 1990. TFA\ninto a few words. In the State of the Union\nsends college graduates to teach for two years\naddress in January. at Rutgers University in\nin understaffed schools. As Clinton looks for a\nMarch. and again in New Orleans on the 100th\nmodel of a crash course for teachers. TFA's\nday of his administration. Clinton boldly pledged\neight-week program is an obvious choice. and\nto include the nation's public schools in his na-\nTFA in fact has submitted a proposal to the\ntional service program. The plan. something of a\npresident's Commission on National and Com-\nG.I. Bill for the MTV generation. promises col-\nmunity Service. But my own rocky experience\nlege grants and loans for young people, \"and\nin TFA's first corps of teachers tells me-and\nsome who aren't so young,\" willing. among other\nought to tell the president's planners-that a\nthings. \"to serve in our schools as teachers or tu-\nquick course and a year in the classroom with-\ntors in reading and mathematics.\"\nout the support to make that vear successful is a\nThe idea, like Boston's community service-\nwaste of the enormous potential of a young, en-\noriented City Year and the Peace Corps in the\nergetic teaching force. Unless teachers are\nsixties, is exciting. but it's not as simple as it\nsmartly selected. trained. and supervised. little\nsounds. Perhaps college students and recent\nof use will be accomplished except the sooth-\ngraduates could easily serve as tutors and\ning of New Democratic consciences.\nasservive work by\nteachers' aides. but Clinton's plan calls for\nsome to work as full-time teachers as well.\n25, we'll never\nOverall. the president is asking for one or two\nTraining wreck\njel the\nyears of service: most teacher recruits would\nwas \" couning\npresumably spend most or all of that time\nIn many ways. I'm typical of the surprisingly\ndo need to set\nteaching. And while it takes five years to quali-\nlarge number of applicants who went after TFA's\nfy to teach in most states, Clinton proposes\nfirst 500 slots three years ago. One of a score of\nTFAers selected from over 100 Yale seniors who\nFT, TFA +\nsending those national service recruits into the\nclassroom with just eight weeks of training.\napplied. I had had the best education money can\nOE into the same\nThat may be long enough to train neighborhood\nbuy. After nine years at Washington's Sidwell\n00- -+ the\nclean-up workers or even police auxiliaries. but\nFriends School. which the president's daughter\nis it enough for teachers?\nhas made famous. and four years at Yale. I could\ncome time if we\nTeach For America (TFA), the recent private\nhave counted on my fingers the number of times\nsent 1. get He.,\nreincarnation of the sixties Teacher Corps. says\nI had been inside a public school. And despite\none is 1994!!\nyes. Developed by Princeton undergraduate\nvolunteer tutoring in the City Lights school for\nemotionally disturbed and delinquent children in\n10 is\nJonathan Schorr is in his third year of teaching English. history.\nWashington and in the New Haven Juvenile De-\nand journalism at Pasadena High School. He recently earned his\nCalifornia teaching credential.\ntention Center. I had never given serious thought\noth an exciting\net sobering\n24 The Washington Monthly/June 1993\nsticle. Peshys\nsmother School\nagree 100%\nwold be invited\nto see U) -\nto teaching. Yet, a month after I graduated from\nsummer's training, though their value depended\ncollege, I found myself at Manual Arts High\nentirely on the talent of the mentor. Luckily, my\nSchool in South Central Los Angeles as part of\nmentor was a gifted, award-winning social stud-\nthe TFA Summer Institute.\nies teacher from New York City. He engaged\nThe eight weeks of TFA training were a jum-\neach of us personally. Often he untangled our\nble. Summer school practice teaching in the\nclassroom problems on grading, discipline. or\nmorning was followed by a mix of classes, semi-\ngetting across a complicated concept. He watched\nnars, and discussions in the afternoon at the TFA\neach of us teach, offered support and criticism,\nInstitute at the University of Southern California.\nand occasionally presented a lesson of his own as\nAs is so commonly-and problematically-the\na model. Typical of the way he nudged us along\ncase. our student teaching roles in the classrooms\nwas the journal he required me to keep. In one\nvaried widely. Many TFA student teachers were\nfrustrated entry, I listed some of the things my\nconsigned to the back of the room. observing the\nstudents didn't know, including the number of\n\"master\" teacher at work and occasionally mak-\njustices on the Supreme Court (guesses were 28.\ning cameos before the class. Other so-called\n36. and 2). Nor could they think of a significant\n\"mentors\" dropped the full load of planning,\nevent that happened between 1925 and 1945. \"I\nteaching. and grading on the TFA neophyte.\nthink the class is bored,\" I wrote. \"I need to inject\nsometimes even leaving the student teacher alone\nexcitement and creativity.\" In a typed response.\nin the room. My experience was somewhere in\nmy mentor sympathized. recalled similar experi-\nthe middle: I taught one two-hour class solo and\nences in his own work. suggested articles to read,\nobserved another. Due to an oddity of the sched-\nand consoled: \"Your advice to yourself is right on\nule. I ended up with an English class with four\ntarget.\nYou are your own worst critic. Not\nstudents in it. Grading was a breeze. but planning\nsuch a bad thing!\" He was right.\nlessons was not, and I was up far too late every\nnight. Quickly, I developed a pragmatic approach\nto my classes. I tried to figure out what would\nTalking ed\nget me through the next day, not what would\nSoon. however. the student teaching. semi-\nmake me a better teacher.\nnars. mentor groups. motivational meetings. and\nThe afternoon's TFA Institute classes ran the\nbad USC chicken were over. I cleared out my\ngamut: classroom management seminars. meth-\ndorm room and found an apartment in Pasadena.\nods of teaching particular subjects. prep courses\nA week later, while I was still sleeping on sofa\nfor the many standardized tests we faced. lectures\npillows spread out on the floor, I showed up for\nintroducing us to the law. history, and theory sur-\nmy first day of work at Pasadena High School.\nrounding education. and discussions of multicul-\nPasadena. to anyone outside southern California.\ntural and bilingual education. Some of what we\nis the sunny home of the Rose Parade. the Super\nlearned. especially classroom management and\nBowl. and Cal Tech-not as tough as L.A. or\nroutines. was useful. But much of it-the funda-\nNew York City. But Pasadena has its inner city,\nmentals and general theory of education-had lit-\ntoo, plus enough private schools (they outnum-\ntle relevance to our daily work. (If anything, theo-\nber public schools two to one) to drain off near-\nretical training ought to be specific to the subject\nly all of the city's affluent families.\na given teacher is slated to teach.) All of it would\nThe first hurdle, which took me months to clear,\nhave worked better if we had had the guidance of\nwas simply writing daily lesson plans. This is one\na strong mentor once we were in the classroom\nof the hardest points to make to non-teachers. Be-\nfull time, perhaps with a reduced load the first\ncause the classroom is such a familiar and uncom-\nyear and then a second year at full speed.\nplicated place for most people, it's hard to see that\nIn fact. the frequent TFA small-group meetings\ndeveloping and executing a good curriculum is\nwith a mentor teacher were the best part of that\nabout as simple as composing and performing a\nJune 1993/The Washington Monthly 25\ngood symphony. For the first few months, my dou-\nents suggested slugging her in the mouth if she\nble-period teaching blocks-I taught two 9th grade\ntalked back. I was unready for the illiterate stu-\nEnglish and social studies classes and one senior\ndent who, after sitting mute at the back of my\nliterature class-yawned open as terrifying blocks\nclassroom for months, dropped out to take a job\nof unplanned time. I was advised to keep my 9th\nfixing cars for the school district. I struggled\ngraders on their toes by switching activities every\ndesperately to improve the situation-games.\n10 or 20 minutes-meaning at least five different\nconferences, calls home, pleading and threaten-\nactivities for each class. And worse still, no two of\ning, everything but juggling and standing on my\nthe five-and-a-half classes I taught each day were\nhead-but positions were fixed. trenches dug for\nthe same.\na battle that was to last all year.\nMoreover, in the hazing that is typical at every\nAs bad as it was for me, it was worse for the\nschool (and, of course, in many professions), I as\nstudents. The 9th grade is the most important\nthe new teacher was given one of the school's\nyear for an at-risk student. Many of mine, unable\ntoughest 9th grade classes, which was filled with\neven to visualize passing, took long steps on the\n\"social who had not\npath toward dropping out. For others who were\npassed the 8th grade but were simply moved\nmore motivated and academically able. the con-\nalong with their classmates. And there were\ntrol battle in my classroom wasted their time. I\nlearning-disabled students (reading at 3rd and 5th\nclearly remember Chris. an able and kind student\ngrade levels), severe behavior problems, students\nwho would have been in private school but for\nwho spoke little English, petty (and not-so-petty)\nhis father's desire to see him learn to relate with\ncriminals, and so on. No one who has taught in an\n\"all kinds of people\"-perhaps. his mother ad-\nurban public school will be surprised by this\nmitted. at the expense of his education. Day after\nlitany; it's utterly typical. Giving the least experi-\nday, he sat silently at the back of the room. ask-\nenced teachers the toughest classes to teach is a\ning me with his eyes why I couldn't control the\nstupid combination, even for the most eager of\nclass and teach him a bit more.\nyoung teachers. I had thought I was ready. I was\nknowledgeable and excited. My lessons were\nClass war\ngood, designed to demand meaningful thought\nand hard work. Though I would not have admit-\nTwo years later. however. things are incompa-\nted it at the time, I, perhaps like most TFAers,\nrably better. I regard myself as competent: many\nharbored dreams of liberating my students from\nof my superiors call me an exemplary young\npublic school mediocrity and offering them as\nteacher, and I love my work. Indeed. I chose to\ngood an education as I had received.\nstay on past the two years I promised TFA and\nBut I was not ready. The morning 9th-grade\ncomplete my teaching credential. But my first\nclass was a rough mix. Mario, who had already\nyear merits careful examination. especially as it\nbeen to jail-for truancy-took a pair of bolt cut-\nseems to have been fairly typical for TFAers. (I\nters into the school bicycle cage and tried to steal\nhad it easy compared to my TFA-trained col-\na bike as I watched. Luther, a 15-year-old father-\nleague who had her bulletin board burned down\nto-be. was so stoned once that he asked to be ex-\nand her car stolen by her students.) I was not a\ncused to go to a doctor's appointment scheduled\nsuccessful teacher, and the loss to the students\ntwo weeks earlier. Gina, whose mother refused to\nwas real and large. If we're going to encourage\nallow her to take medication for her hyperactivity,\nshort stavs in teaching. it becomes especially\ncursed and yelled when I asked her to sit and be\nimportant to enable teachers to hit the ground\nquiet. Ernie, a born entertainer turned gang mem-\nrunning. So what would have prepared me for\nber, never turned in any work, but had an uncan-\nthat first year?\nny talent for mimicking me, which he did con-\nAn apprenticeship. Pilots learn to fly and\nstantly: \"Unacceptable! Unacceptable!\"\nsurgeons to operate with a master by their side.\nBoredom and frustration set in, intensified by\nWho's to say the work of a teacher is less compli-\nthe first set of grades, more than 80 percent of\ncated? More training before I entered the class-\nwhich were Fs in one class. I lacked the skills to\nroom would have done little because didn't\n\"manage\" the behavior of a student whose par-\nknow how to understand what I was being told.\n26 The Washington Monthly/June 1993\njust as exhortations to \"keep your balance\" mean\nother crafts, requires slowly building responsi-\nlittle to someone who has never ridden a bicycle.\nbility. The initial instruction in methods. history,\nMy needs were clear: instruction in how to teach\nand regulations should be kept short-eight\nmy specific subjects; a chance to ask questions\nweeks is probably the right length-since little\nabout lesson plans and about how to deal with\ncan be learned without hands-on practice. De-\ndifficult students; someone to push me to think\nfenders of the current model argue that student\nabout and critique my own work; and time. al-\nteaching is already a form of apprenticeship.\nways a teacher's most precious commodity.\nPerhaps so-in the few cases where the mentor\nThe national service program could offer a\nteacher commits the same energy to teaching the\nbold new model for training teachers correctly,\nyoung teacher as she would to teaching her stu-\neven within the confines of a one- or two-year\ndents. The structure is not the problem: execu-\ncommitment. The first step is recruitment. Candi-\ntion is. Most student teachers report either\ndates must be screened rigorously for both their\nwatching as the master teacher teaches. or being\nability to communicate and their seriousness.\nleft to teach on their own and occasionally get-\nOnce the recruits have been selected. they must\nting a few pointers (if the master teacher is even\nbe trained more effectively than TFAers are now.\nin the room). Neither is adequate. Expectations\nClearly, traditional teacher education does not\nmust be placed on the master teacher: the master\nhold the answers, regardless of time constraints.\nteacher also must be selected carefully. More-\nThe courses I took at three different colleges\nover. rewards-both in money and in compen-\nover the two years I pursued my California\nsatorv time-must reflect the importance of the\nteaching credential proved that to me. (Califor-\nmentor's task.\nnia, like many other states, has responded to its\nReflection-and-critique sessions. probably\nteacher shortage by issuing emergency teaching\nbest done in a group of young teachers with two\ncredentials, renewable as long as the teacher is\nor three experienced leaders, could easily be\ntaking education courses.) I began at Cal State\nmade a requirement of the Clinton program.\nUniversity. Just one of many frustrations was\nLearning to teach cannot be seen as a small\nbeing told I was unfit to teach the subjects I had\ncommitment, relegated to evenings when the\nstudied in college. Although I had earned Dis-\nworkday is done. Instead. the first-year teacher's\ntinction in sociology at Yale and had taken sev-\nworkday might include only half a day or so of\neral courses in history and psychology, Cal State\nteaching-at least, one or two hours a day\ndeclared that I would need 14 more courses be-\nshould be free for this work-so that training\nfore I could teach social studies. I was pro-\nand reflection will not compete for time with\nnounced similarly unqualified in English. in\npreparation. Yes, this will cost money. It's worth\nwhich I had done extensive coursework as well.\nit. And it may be reasonable to demand a time\nWhat passed for a \"lesson\" in these education\ncommitment-say two years instead of\nclasses was often nothing more than passing out a\none-from the teacher in return for the invest-\nreading and then reshuffling \"cooperative\" groups\nment. Such an idea IS not unprecedented; in re-\nto discuss it while the instructor sat at a desk. Or\nturn for two years of mentoring, the nascent\nwe might watch a sample lesson prepared by a\nTeachers For Chicago demands a four-vear com-\nstudent who had never taught a class. Spending\nmitment to teaching.\nthree or four hours at this after a day of teaching,\nTFA offers good evidence to counter my gen-\nwhen I could have been working on the five\neration's reputation of apathy toward public ser-\nlessons I had to prepare each day, nearly drove me\nvice. There is much to work with here. The cur-\nmad. The last straw came at the beginning of my\nrent spotlight on service, and the creative\nsecond quarter, after a brutal round of budget cuts,\nthinking going into it, is an important step to-\nwhen one associate dean advised me resignedly,\nward recognizing all the problems in education.\n\"Don't worry about the subject matter. Just take\nMost important, we cannot allow a generation of\nwhatever you can get into.\"\nstudents to be guinea pigs for poorly trained\nAfter two years of so-called teacher educa-\nteachers from either traditional or newtangjed\ntion, I can say that virtually nothing of what I\nschools of education. As President Clinton\nknow came from those classes. Teaching like\nmight say, we don't have a child to waste.\nJune 1993/The Washington Monthly 27\nPOLITICAL BOOKNOTES\nA City Year: On the Streets and in\n\"season of service.\" and has created a\nsmall teams on projects like building\nthe Neighborhoods with Twelve\nWhite House Office of National\nplaygrounds, restoring housing.\nYoung Community Service\nService to turn that promise into a\ntutoring children. or assisting the\nVolunteers\nreality.\nelderly. City Year participants earn\nSuzanne Goldsmith\nInto this congenial climate comes\n$100 per week. and if they stay an\nThe New Press. $22.95\nSuzanne Goldsmith's firsthand\nentire nine months, they receive\naccount of nine months with City\n$5,000 for college or job training. To\nBy Daniel H. Pink\nYear. the highly regarded Boston-\nwrite her book, Goldsmith labored\nbased project that's a prototype for\nalongside a City Year team and\nNational service. once a flaky idea\nthe national service programs Clinton\ntalked at length with its members.\npeddled only by The Washington\nenvisions. The brainchild of Alan\nShe began her City Year on a team\nMonthly and a few cranky neoliberals.\nKhazei and Michael Brown, whose\nthat demonstrated one of the pro-\nhas hit the big time.\nHarvard law degrees did not quash\ngram's greatest strengths: diversity.\nBill Clinton says national service\ntheir entrepreneurial instincts. City\n(At the risk of being labeled a bean\nwill be a defining idea of his presiden-\nYear is a privately funded service\ncounter, I note that her team had six\ncy. He has promised to usher in a\ncorps in which young people work in\nwomen. six men, two Latinos, four\nAfrican-Americans, two Asian-\nAmericans. three middle-class whites.\nWhen Death is Preferable To Life\na few college students. and a man on\nprobation.) The crew was officially\nknown as the Reebok Team, after the\nSomeone you love is dying. She is incontinent, racked with\nMassachusetts footwear company\npain, unable to drink, eat or even care. Medical technology\nwhich supplied part of the uniform all\nCity Year corps members must wear.\nworks overtime, even when the body can't go on. The\nThe Reebok Team's first projects\ngrieving family looks to medical professionals for answers\nwere worthwhile. Team members\nthat may never come. Sad scenarios like this are played out\nexcavated a weed-choked garden and\nplayground complex in a beleaguered\nevery day all over the United States.\nsouth Boston neighborhood. repainted\na playground in Roxbury. and did\nNew directions in social legislation are often the result of\nchores for the elderly in a\nleadership from the public at large. Hemlock is the leader-\nCharlestown public housing project.\nThen it was on to a state hospital to\nship group in the Death With Dignity movement.\nrepair a greenhouse.\nBut difficulties quickly arise. Most\nYou can learn more about Hemlock. There is a Hemlock\ntragically. one corps member is shot\nand killed one night as he walks\nchapter near you. Write or call today. Ask for Introductory\nhome. And while some corps mem-\nPacket F.\nbers hurl themselves into their work.\nothers do little but complain loudly.\nGood\nTHE HEMLOCK SOCIETY U.S.A.\nAbsenteeism and lateness are chronic.\nLife\nSeveral corps members often disap-\nGood\nP.O. Box 11830\nDeath\npear for the afternoon or spend work\nEugene, Oregon 97440\ndays chatting on the phone.\nTEL: 800/247-7421\nWhat makes the shirking and skipping\nhard to understand is that the Reebok\nTeam doesn't work that much anyway.\n58 The Washington Monthly/September 1993\nFor example, one of the group's\nthey're accomplishing in the commu-\nAnd that is precisely why we need\nprojects was to organize a\nnities that are supposedly being\nnational service. Our country has a\nCommunity Clean-Up Day in the\nserved.\nscreaming set of needs that neither\nBoston neighborhood of Chelsea.\nHer epilogue, written two years\nthe private sector nor the government\nBut during this seven-week venture,\nafter her City Year ends, is especial-\nis meeting-dangerous streets, abom-\nthe Reebok Team found itself, alas,\nly revealing. We learn that Reebok\ninable public schools, inadequate\nwith loads of \"downtime.\" Not to\nteam- mates, Amy and Jackie, are in\nhealth care. Conditions like these\nworry, though.\ncollege, that Richie has been arrest-\nproduce kids with troubles. Yet the\n\"There is a benefit to this down-\ned, and that Brendan believes City\nsolution to their troubles is not a\ntime,\" Goldsmith writes. \"It gives us\nYear improved his self-image. But\nnine-month stint in City Year but a\na chance to relax together and get\nthe 30-page section doesn't say any-\nfocused assault on the conditions\nused to one another as friends rather\nthing about the condition of the\nthemselves.\nthan teammates. Thursday after-\nplaces where the team worked. Has\nCity Year is a good program, and its\nnoons have been set aside for social\nthe Chelsea Clean-Up Day been\ncreators and participants ought to be\nactivities-the team calls it \"Team\nrepeated? Have the kids at the\ncommended for their innovation and\nBonding day.' We go bowling. We\nBlackstone School become better\npluck. And as long as the programs are\ngo boating on Jamaica Pond. One\nreaders because of City Year tutor-\nopen to criticism and evaluation, prob-\nThursday we go together at\ning? Have drugs and gangs returned\nlems like the ones Goldsmith some-\nlunchtime to Faneuil Hall, a popular\nto the playground and garden the\ntimes inadvertently points out can be\nopen-air market. and the women on\nReebok Team cleaned?\nsolved.\nthe team spend an hour browsing\nWe don't know; Goldsmith doesn't\nIf we go that route and focus on the\ntogether at a lingerie store.\"\ntell us. The result is a cloudy view of\nvolunteers and on the substance of\nGoldsmith adds. \"Team members are\nservice because true service is about\ntheir work. Clinton's \"season of ser-\nrarely absent on team bonding days.\"\ndoing a job, solving a problem,\nvice\" might achieve its most spectacu-\nNo wonder. It sounds like a hoot,\nimproving a life. Its primary focus is\nlar result. It might be followed by a\nbut it doesn't sound much like nation-\nthe served. not the servers.\nseason of solutions.\nal service. Also troubling is the\nClinton has himself fallen into this\nDaniel H. Pink is a Washington writer.\namount of work time devoted to\ntrap. In a March speech on national\nshow. Each morning, City Year teams\nservice, he mentioned Stephen Spalos,\nparticipate in group calisthenics at a\na 23-year-old City Year team leader.\nmajor Boston subway stop, an exer-\n\"Last year, when I visited his project,\"\nAmerican Health Care\ncise that seems geared less to physi-\nClinton said, \"he literally took his\ncal fitness and more to public rela-\nsweatshirt off his back and gave it\ntions. One week goes to rehearsing a\nback to me so that I would never for-\nPower and\n\"recruitment blitz,\" complete with rap\nget the kids at City Year. And I still\nsongs and skits. for the next year's\nwear it when I go jogging, always\nIllness\nprogram.\nremembering what they're doing in\nThe Failure and Future of\nAt times in this account, City Year\nBoston to help those kids.\"\nseems more like an advertisement for\nUnlike John Kennedy, his political\nAmerican Health Policy\nhero, Clinton begins with the wrong\nDANIEL M. FOX\nnational service than national service\nitself. At other times, the only real\nquestion. We must ask not what\nFox offers a forceful argument\nadvertisement I could think of violat-\nnational service can do for its partici-\nfor fundamental change in na\ned the jurisdictional boundaries of\npants, but what its participants can do\ntional health care priorities. He\nsneaker marketing. I often wanted to\nfor their neighbors and neighborhoods.\nshows how ideas about illness\nshout. \"Reebok Team, just do it.\"\nTrue, many Reebok Team members\nand health care, as well as the\nEvery Friday, for instance, is\ncome from troubled backgrounds. We\n\"Enrichment Day\"; instead of digging\nlearn that about half the team drops\npower of special interest groups,\nor tutoring, corps members attend\nout. Charles returns to jail. Richie\nhave shaped the way in which\nworkshops and take field trips. In\nessentially drinks himself out of the\nAmericans have treated illness,\nJanuary, as at many private Eastern\nprogram, and then is accused of bur-\nand he suggests ways to solve\ncolleges, the Reebok Team has an\nglarizing one of his teammates.\nthe increasing problem of\n\"intercession,\" which is soon fol-\nSeveral team members sell drugs.\nchronic illness without increas-\nlowed by a five-day \"midyear retreat\"\nBut if the overriding goal of enlist-\nat Camp Grotonwood.\ning volunteers in national service\ning the already high cost of\nThese activities raise fundamental\nprograms like City Year is to rescue\nhealth care.\nconcerns about the book and about\ntroubled volunteers, then we are\n$20.00 cloth, illustrated, at book-\nCity Year itself. Goldsmith shines her\nbeing foolhardy. Many of these kids\nstores or order 1-800-822-6657.\nattention almost entirely on the partic-\ncome to the program with nearly two\nUNIVERSITY OF\nipants. She appears more concerned\ndecades of pain and heartache that a\nCALIFORNIA PRESS\nwith what the corps member are get-\nsingle year-not even a City\nting out of the program than what\nYear-can erase.\nSeptember 1993/The Washington Monthly 59\nthe thickness of the polar cap In Colijun\nradar scans from an orbiting satellite. The stuu\nitsen\nwere designed, among other things, to monitor\nchanges possibly related to global warming.\ners busy despire\nTraveling as passengers on the attack subma-\nnuclear submarine Ile\nrine USS Pargo, the scientists were the first to\nMost of all, of course, scienta\nconduct nonclassified work on such a vessel. They\nsearch mobility heretofore out of reach\nwere spared arduous conditions on the surface\nthe intense security regulations that have\nthat would have detracted from their work.\nerned nuclear submarines. That expanded hor.\nSome discussion has already taken place about\nis well worth exploring.\nBosba Globa, 9/28/93\nBuilding on YouthBuild\nA program to train young people for construc-\nhoods - also YouthBuild's mission - and if thou-\ntion jobs is threatened by a severe cutback in fed-\nsands of young people could be trained for worth-\neral funding. Congress would do well to continue\nwhile work in the process, so much the better. Sen.\nits support so YouthBuild can continue to expand\nJohn Kerry deserves credit for pushing the fund-\nacross the country.\ning through the Senate last year.\nThe program, which began in Harlem 15 years\nago, has spread to 15 cities, including Boston, and\nThe extra money allowed YouthBuild to begin\nhas provided training for 2,500 young people.\nplanning an expansion to 100 more cities, all of\n\"These are the people we have to reach,\" said La-\nthem in need of construction work and job train-\nbor Secretary Robert Reich when he visited the\ning. But this year, after the House approved a $44\nprogram's Boston office.\nmillion appropriation, the Senate cut it sharply on\nReich noted that while US business spends $30\nthe grounds that YouthBuild should compete with\nbillion on job training, most of it goes to those in\nother programs for the limited funds allotted to\nPresident Clinton's National Service Trust.\nwhite-collar jobs, a far cry from the poor young\npeople YouthBuild attracts.\nYouthBuild has a tighter focus than many of\nFor most of its history, YouthBuild has scraped\nthe programs that will be part of the national ser-\nby on a combination of funds from private groups\nvice initiative. While it may qualify for some of this\nand local governments. Last year, heartened by its\nmoney, its main source of federal support ought to\nsuccess, Congress agreed to give the YouthBuild\nbe HUD, whose mission it neatly complements.\ngroups $40 million as part of the budget of the\nWhen the bill comes befo a House-Senate con-\nDepartment of Hous ng and Urban Development.\nference this week, House members should make\nHUD was set \" tn rahnil 111.1-\nHeighbor-\nthe case strongly for full fundir g\nTEACH FOR AMERICA\ncorps members go above and beyond\nTeach For America corps members go above and beyond the\nJuan Pantoja, a 1990 graduate of\ncall of duty. In addition to daily teaching responsibilities, corps\nPrinceton University, teaches a\nmembers assume leadership roles in school administration by\nbilingual fifth-grade class in South\nacting as department heads and serving on school committees.\nCentral Los Angeles. Juan deferred\nFurthermore, corps members demonstrate incredible\nHarvard Law School for two years\ncommitment to the intellectual and social growth of their\nto join Teach For America.\nstudents.\nLast year, he wrote to Harvard\nTeresa Gonsalvez, a 1990 graduate of Clairemont-McKenna College,\nexplaining that he wouldn't be\ncoaches the after school debate team at a middle school in New York City.\ngoing to law school; he had decided\nLast year, Teresa took six students to Los Angeles for a debate and\nto teach for a third year.\ncultural exchange just one week after the LA riots. Her students also\nreached the semi-finals of the city-wide debate competition. This year,\nTeresa is taking four of her debate students to Los Angeles again, and two\nto West Sussex, England.\nCraig Daniel, a 1991 graduate of Emory University, and Tanya Friedman, a 1991 graduate of Wesleyan University,\nhave arranged to travel with their sixth and seventh graders to Washington, DC from May 14-19. The field trip\nincludes visits to Congress, the Supreme Court, FBI headquarters, and the White House. The children are responsible\nfor raising one third the cost of the trip, with the rest of the money coming from a grant awarded by Aetna Insurance.\nLaurie Lowenthal, who graduated from SUNY-Binghamton in 1992, is teaching high school English in rural Georgia.\nLaurie is also coaching football, and making headlines for being the school's first female coach.\nJon Raj, 1991 corps member from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, coached his high school history class in\nthe \"Odyssey of the Mind,\" a world-wide academic competition. Although they were newcomers to the event, Jon's\nteam won first place in Houston, and went on to place fifth in the state.\nMike Fee, a 1991 graduate of Stanford University, initiated a voter registration\n\"They are wonderful -\ndrive with his journalism students. Mike combined lessons of demographics\nsuperior to any new teacher\nand polling as the class worked to register every 18 year old in the high school.\nthat I've had.\"\nKarla Oakley, a 1991 graduate of Duke University, took 17 students from\nCentral High School in Mariana, Arkansas on a field trip to France as a means\nMirian Acosta-Sing, Principal,\nMott Hall School, New York, NY\nof inspiring more students to undertake a foreign language. The students\nvisited sites which included Versailles, Mont St. Michel and the Loire Valley.\nMonica Liang, a 1991 corps member teaching in New York City, and Karina Gaige, a 1991 Rio Grande Valley corps\nmember, have involved their high school classes in a pen-pal exchange over the last two years. Their students have\nexchanged letters in English and in Spanish, and sent videotapes of their classrooms and schools. Monica and Karina\nare both 1991 graduates of Oberlin College.\n\"We have a tough time getting top quality people. I have not seen one [Teach For America corps member]\nyet whom I would not want teaching my son.\"\nFrank R. Petruzielo, Superintendent, Houston Independent School District, Houston Chronicle, September 8, 1991\nTEACH FOR AMERICA\nDEMONSTRATED COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND PROGRAM IMPACT\nTeach For America is a national teacher corps of talented, dedicated individuals who commit a\nminimum of two years to teach in under-resourced urban and rural public schools. Since 1990, Teach\nFor America has inspired over 12,000 outstanding college graduates to compete for teaching positions\nin some of this nation's most challenging schools. Teach For America has trained and placed almost\n1,800 corps members in classrooms from South Central Los Angeles to the South Bronx in New York\nCity to rural areas in Louisiana and Texas.\nTeach For America consistently attracts a diverse pool of extraordinary\ncandidates by recruiting actively at over 150 college campuses across\nJulie Mikuta, a 1991\nthe nation. Teach For America makes a special effort to attract math,\nscience and foreign language majors as well as bilingual individuals.\nGeorgetown University\ngraduate, teaches 9th grade\nMore than 3,600 candidates applied to be part of the 1993 Teach For\nScience in New Orleans.\nAmerica corps through day-long interview sessions across the country\nand 686 applicants (19%) were selected to become part of the 1993\nShe is a 1993 Rhodes\ncorps.\nScholarship recipient and plans\nTeach For America provides corps members with an intensive two-year\nto attend Oxford University\nprogram including the pre-service training Institute and ongoing\nafter completing her\nprofessional development.\nTeach For America\nCorps members are assigned to school districts according to their\ncommitment this spring.\nacademic backgrounds, personal preferences and district requirements.\nPublic school districts hire corps members at first-year salaries.\nWhether corps members continue in teaching or move into other fields, they are dramatically impacted by their\nexperience. A full 60% of Teach For America's corps members who completed their two-year commitments in\nJune, 1992, have remained in teaching.\nProgram Costs per Teach For America Corps Member\nAnnual Cost per Participant:\nTeach For America vs.\nTeach For America spends $5,000 per year on each corps\nFederally-funded Programs\nmember which leverages an average $25,000 annual teaching\nsalary paid by local school districts.\nProgram\nAnnual Cost per Participant (1992)\nRecruitment & Selection\n$1,200\nPre-Service Institute\n4,600\nTeach For America\n$5,000\nOngoing Support & Professional Development\n2,800\nFederal Prison\n$20,000\nAdministrative Overhead\n1,400\nFirst-term Enlisted Soldier\n$41,000\nTotal (for two years)\n$10,000\n(Source: Report of the Commission on National and Community\nService, January 1993)\nClinton Presidential Records\nDigital Records Marker\nThis is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative\nmarker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.\nThis marker identifies the place of a publication.\nPublications have not been scanned in their entirety for the purpose\nof digitization. To see the full publication please search online or\nvisit the Clinton Presidential Library's Research Room.\nApplication Checklist:\nI\nI Paper-clipped stack containing pages 4-9 of the original application\nand personal data sheet\nI Stapled stack containing a photocopy of the application\nand personal data sheet\nI Two official transcripts from each university attended, including\nstudy abroad and summer courses\nI\n]\nThree reference forms, photocopied and sealed in signed\nenvelopes\nI\nI\nStamped. addressed response postcard\nTEACH FOR AMERICA\nApplication\n1993\nAPPLICATION DEADLINES\nJanuary 15, 1993 - First deadline\nGuaranteed interview\nMarch 1, 1993 - Final deadline\nInterview subject to availability\nMailing Address:\nTeach For America\nP.O. Box 5114\nNew York, NY 10185-5114\n1-800-832-1230\nFROM : TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\nPHONE NO. : 202 737 3972\nP01\nFax Transmission Sheet\nTEACH FOR AMERICA\nWashington, DC\n655 1 5th St., N.W. Atrium Level\nWashington, DC 20005\n(202)737-3122 Main Line\n(202)737-2731 Recruiter Line\n(202)737-3972 Fax Line\nFrom: Jim Many\nRegional/Dinetor\nTo: Robert Dordon\nFax #: 973-1475\nNote: I hope this is helpful please call\nif you need anything be\nThis is page 1 of 16 page(s). Please call if there are any problems with transmission.\nTeach For America is a national teacher\nT\ncorps of talented, dedicated individu-\nals who commit a minimum of two\nyears to teach in under-resourced urban\nand rural public schools. Corps members\nare united by the common beliefs that all\nchildren can learn and that all children\nTEACH FOR AMERICA\ndeserve an equal opportunity to a quality\neducation.\nFROM : TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\nProgram\nTeach For America recruits candidates\nnationally, selects corps members through\nan intensive application process, groups\nSummary\nthem in placement sites across the country,\nestablishes local offices in these areas that\nprovide support services, and organizes an\nextensive program of pre-service and ongo-\ning professional development.\nMailing Address:\nP.O. Box 5114\nPHONE NO. : 202 737 3972\nNew York, NY 10185\n1221 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor\nNew York, NY 10020\n(212) 974-2456\nOctober 1992\nP02\nHistory\nTable of Contents\nTeach For America was conceived in the fall of 1988 as a means to\n1 History\ninspire this nation's most talented college graduates to teach in its most\n3 Vision & Mission\nunder-resourced public elementary and secondary schools. With the\nconviction that education can be the solution to our nation's most press-\n4 Program Overview\ning problems and that our schools and children demand the attention of\nour brightest and most dedicated individuals, Wendy Kopp proposed\n6 Recruitment & Selection\nthe creation of a national teacher corps in her senior thesis at Princeton\n7 Assignment & Placement\nUniversity. The teacher corps would surround teaching with an aura of\nselectivity, status and service, and it would make teaching accessible to\nFROM TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\n9 Professional Development\nindividuals without education degrees.\n13 Local Offices\nAfter submitting her thesis in April, 1989, Wendy condensed it into a\n14 Outreach & Advocacy\nthirty-page prospectus and sent it to the chief executive officers of a\nnumber of large corporations. Mobil Corporation approved a grant of\n16 Research & Evaluation\n$26,000 the day after she graduated in June of 1989, and Union Carbide\n18 1992 Corps Member Profile\ndonated office space in Manhattan. The following fall, a team of recent\ncollege graduates began to like Teach For America from idea to reality.\n21 The Organization\nThe team began by recruiting 100 \"campus representatives\" - student\n23 Five-Year Plan\nleade rs at each of 100 colleges and universities. The representatives\n25 Funding\ncame together at Princeton in November of 1989 and began spreading\nthe word about Teach For America in January of 1990. They declared\n27 Board of Advisors\nFebruary 10 \"Teach For America Day\" on each campus and organized\ntheir fellow students to host fifth graders from a local public school for a\nday of educational activities. Teach For America's selection process\nbegan on February 14. By the end of April, 2,500 individuals had com-\nPHONE NO. : 202 737 3972\npleted the essay application, sample teaching session, and personal\ninterview. Five hundred charter corps members (Corps '90) had matric-\nulated by the end of May.\nThe charter corps came together for the first time in Los Angeles in June\nof 1990 for an eight-week pre-service training Institute. From there, they\ntravelled to New York City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Baton Rouge,\nrural North Carolina, and rural Georgia to assume teaching positions in\nthe fall of 1990. Local offices in each of those areas facilitated their tran-\nsition and provided ongoing support.\nCorps members recruited in subsequent years have undergone a more\nextensive selection process. They also have the advantage of a much-strength-\nened pre-service Institute and expanded system of ongoing support and\nI\nP03\nprofessional development. As of the fall of 1992, 8,600 individuals have\napplied to Teach For America, and 1,800 of them have assumed posi-\nVision & Mission\ntions in each of the already established placement sites and in Oakland,\nHouston, Washington, DC, Baltimore, and rural areas in Texas,\nLouisiana, and Arkansas.\nOur Vision\nOur vision is that one day all children in this nation will have an equal\nSince the fall of 1989, Teach For America's national office has operated\nopportunity to attain a quality education.\nout of space provided by Morgan Stanley in New York City's\nRockefeller Center. Today, 45 full-time staff work in that office, while 45\nfull-time staff work out of 16 local offices. Together, they manage a\nOur Mission\ncareful mechanism of recruitment, selection, placement, pre-service and\nTo recruit a group of our nation's most talented and dedicated individu-\nongoing professional development, and beginning teacher support.\nals - who are passionate in the belief that all children deserve an equal\nopportunity to a quality education and who have the potential to\nTeach For America was incorporated as a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) non-\nbecome outstanding teachers - to make a two-year commitment to teach\nFROM : TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\nprofit organization on October 6, 1989.\nin our nation's most under-resourced public schools;\nTo place these corps members in those under-resourced schools which\nwill ensure that their experiences have a positive influence on their stu-\ndents and on their own commitment to public education;\n\"[TFA's staff] has shown a willingness to come in and\nmeet the needs of the district head on. They're interested\nTo support and develop corps members in such a way that they fulfill\nin working with us and finding out what our needs\ntheir potential as outstanding teachers;\nare. With the kind of support and intensity of the pro-\ngram, [corps members] will be able to overcome some of\nthose difficulties that many first-year teachers face.\"\nTo build these individuals into a corps of education advocates who will\nwork throughout their lives - together and as individuals - to effect pos-\nCynthia Harris\nitive social change;\nDirector of Teacher Recruitment, Cakland Schools\nOakland Montelarior 7/12/91\nTo inspire in America a greater commitment to ensuring equal educa-\ntional opportunity for all children;\nTo elevate the image of teaching by showing college students and the\nPHONE NO. : 202 737 3972\npublic at large that thousands of outstanding in dividuals compete to\nenter the profession and find it challenging and rewarding; and\n\"Some of them are going to be stars, and all of them\nTo influence positively the recruitment, selection, support, development,\nbrought an enthusiasm and a motivation to the job that\nand certification of all teachers by having a long-term, systemic impact\nwas really stirring to all of the staff.\"\non public school districts, states, universities, and other institutions\nJosephine Schwindt\nwhich impact public education.\nSuperintendent, District 27\nQueens, New York\nTeacher Magazine, September 1991\n2\n3\nP04\nProgram Overview\nwhich provides opportunities for live discussions and sharing of\nresources.\nTeach For America recruits candidates nationally, selects\nIn each placement site, Teach For America establishes local offices that\ncorps members through an intensive application process,\nprovide corps members with transitional help and ongoing direct sup-\ngroups them in placement sites across the country, estab-\nport. Local offices also work with school districts, local universities, cor-\nlishes local offices in these areas that provide support ser-\nporations, foundations, community organizations, and states in a collab-\nvices, and organizes an extensive program of pre-service\norative effort to effect systemwide changes in teacher recruitment, selec-\nand ongoing professional development.\ntion, placement, development, and cerification.\nTeach For America recruits a diverse group of outstanding graduating\nAfter their two-year commitment, corps members become part of an\nseniors of all academic majors at over 150 colleges and universities, and\nalumni network designed to facilitate their ongoing communication\nwe encourage anyone with a bachelor's degree to apply to the program.\nwith each other and involvement in the education system. Alumni pro-\nFROM : TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\nAll applicants complete a written essay application, a sample teaching\ngrams include reunions and local alumni groups.\nsession, and two interviews. Recruiters recommend for acceptance\nthose applicants who demonstrate commitment, flexibility, maturity,\nTeach For America seeks to use its resources and unique niche in\nleadership, effective communication skills, and a respect for all children.\nAmerican society to inspire in America a greater commitment to public\neducation, and to elevate the image of teaching. Components of this\nIndividuals recommended for accéptance are carefully assigned to one\neffort include: (1) an ongoing public relations campaign; (2) a series of\nof Teach For America's placement sites based on their academic back-\npublic service announcements; (3) a coordinated effort to encourage\ngrounds, personal preferences, and district needs. Teach For America\ncorps members to speak and write about their experiences; and (4) stu-\ncurrently places corps members in Baltimore, Houston, Los Angeles,\ndent-run campus chapters designed to increase college students' aware-\nNew Orleans, New York City, Oakland, and Washington, DC, and in\nness of educational issues, and to inspire their involvement in K-12 pub-\nrural areas in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas.\nlic education.\nDistricts in these areas, which traditionally experience shortages of qual-\nified, certified teachers, hire corps members as teachers at regular\nTeach For America's research and evaluation effort guides internal pro-\nsalaries through existing alternative certification mechanisms.\ngram development and provides information about the effectiveness of\nTeach For America for its constituencies - public school districts, fun-\nTeach For America expects corps members to assume full personal\nders, corps members, and potential candidates. The effort includes an\nresponsibility for developing themselves into teachers whose perfor-\nexternal evaluation of program effectiveness, which involves a compari-\nPHONE NO. 202 737 3972\nmance consistently demonstrates defined standards. Corps members\nson of the effec of corps members and a matched control group,\ndocument their progress toward these standards in a portfolio.\nand five survey instruments administered yearly to corps members,\nTeach For America aids corps members in their development by provid-\ntheir principals, and others who have provided guidance and superviso-\ning resources, guidance, and opportunities for sustained collaboration\nry support to corps members. A national advisory board oversees the\nthrough mechanisms including: a 6 week pre-service Institute; a 1-2\neffort. Evaluation results are disseminated through a quarterly newslet-\nweek orientation to the schools, school districts, and communities in\nter and longitudinal studies.\nwhich they will be teaching; 2-4 regional conferences during each school\nyear; a one-week second summer program; direct technical assistance\nWithout programs like this, we are never going\nfrom veteran teachers; on-site mentoring; small teams of corps members\nto resolve pipeline issues related to attracting\nwho work together on curriculum development and other projects; local\nthe very best and brightest to our profession.\"\nresource rooms of videos, books, computers, copy machines, and\ndirectories to community resources; and a national computer network\nJoseph Fernandez\nNew York City Schools Chancellor\n5\nP05\nRecruitment & Selection\nAssignment & Placement\nTeach For America recruits outstanding graduating seniors who have\nTeach For America groups corps members in urban and rural public\nstrong academic backgrounds and who are actively involved on their\nschool districts which traditionally experience shortages of qualified,\ncampuses. We make a special effort to recruit individuals for whom dis-\ncertified teachers. These districts have existing mechanisms to hire indi-\ntricts express a particular need: those who are bilingual; those who\nviduals who are not fully certified. Corps members are hired through\nmajored in math, science, and foreign languages; and people of color.\nthese mechanisms and work toward certification during their two-year\nAnyone with a bachelor's degree can apply to the program.\ncommitment. Boards of Education hire corps members at regular first-\nyear teacher salaries ranging from $15,000 to $26,000.\nFull-time recruiters visit student organizations, classes, and career ser-\nvice offices on each of 150 college campuses to encourage students to\nPlacement sites are chosen based on the extent of their need and their\napply. Teach For America selects these target schools according to size,\nwillingness to support Teach For America and its corps members.\nFROM : TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\nselectivity, minority enrollment, and geographic distribution.\nTeach For America's Placement Sites\nThose who apply to the program complete a written essay application\nwhich includes three written references; a sample teaching session\n# of Corps Members\ntaught to other candidates on a topic of their choice; a personal inter-\nview; and a group discussion. Recruiters recommend for acceptance\n1990\n1991\n1992\nthose candidates who demonstrate the following characteristics:\nArkansas*\n-\nA high level of commitment, demonstrated through\n8\n22\nBaltimore\nI\nI\nexcellence in academics, work experience, and\n71\nextracurricular activities\nMiddle Georgia\n10\n8\n11\nHouston\n-\n200\n80\nFlexibility\nLos Angeles'\n215\n186\n81\nSouthern Louisiana\nLeadership\n15\n94\n58\nGreater New Orleans\n45\n96\n57\nMaturity\nNew York City ⁴\n175\n23\n52\nEffective communication skills\nEastern North Carolina\n29\n33\n41\nOakland\nPHONE NO. : 202 737 3972\n-\n36\n48\nA respect for all students\nRio Grande Valley, Texas\n-\n22\n26\nWashington, DC\n-\nI\n19\nTOTALS\n489\n706\n566\n\"We were looking for people who would bring in new\nconcepts to the school; we were looking for fresh ideas.\nThat's what [our TFA corps member] has brought.\"\n*=Mississippi Delta Region\nt=Los Angeles placements are in Compton, Inglewood, Long Beach, Los\nWilliam Gutierrez\nAngeles Unified, Lynwood, and Pasadena.\nPrincipal, Rivera High School, TX\nA=New York City placements are in Brooklyn, Queens, Upper Manhattan, and\nBrownsville Herald, 10/1/91\nthe South Bronx.\n6\n7\nP06\nUpon acceptance, Teach For America corps members are tentatively\nassigned to a placement site on the basis of their academic qualifica-\nProfessional Development\ntions, personal preferences, and district needs and requirements. These\nassignments stem from the projections districts make based on past\nTeach For America expects corps members to assume full personal\nexperience and projected retirements, enrollment growth, and state and\nresponsibility for developing themselves into teachers whose perfor-\nlocal budget allocations. Assignments are subject to change due to last-\nmance consistently demonstrates defined standards. Corps members\nminute budget cuts or changes in retirements or enrollments. Teach For\ndocument their progress toward these standards in a portfolio. Teach\nAmerica finds alternative positions for corps members displaced for\nFor America aids corps members in their development by providing\nthese reasons.\nresources, guidance, and opportunities for sustained collaboration\nthrough a variety of mechanisms.\nTentative assignments become official placements once school district\nofficials offer corps members positions. Corps members interview with\nStructure\nschool and district personnel throughout the summer and into the fall\nFROM TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\nand generally sign contracts in August or September. Local Teach For\nThe professional development model consists of national, regional, and\nAmerica staff organize this process, establish relationships with princi-\nsite-based programs. While all corps members participate in the same\npals who hire corps members and work to ensure that corps members\nnational programs, the structure and model of local and regional pro-\nassume positions in supportive schools.\ngrams vary according to local needs and resources. What follows is a\ngeneral blueprint of the model:\nNational Pre-Service Institute\nThe 6 week pre-service Institute serves both as the final step in the selec-\ntion process and as the first step in corps members' professional develop-\nment as teachers. The Institute charges corps members with the respon-\nsibility to prepare themselves to enter the classroom, and it provides\nthem with the resources they need to begin acquiring the knowledge and\n\"They are wonderful- superior to any new teacher that I've had.\"\nskills necessary to quality teaching. Corps members practice teach in Los\nAngeles' public schools, and a faculty of veteran teachers, teacher educa-\nMirian Acosta-Sing\ntors, and returning corps members coach and mentor corps members as\nPrincipal, Mott Hall School\nthey work together in teams to develop plans and strategies for their first\nWashington Heights, New York City\nyears in the classroom.\nPHONE NO. : 202 737 3972\nThe New York Times, 6/26/91\nInduction\nEach local office hosts a 1-2 week Induction, which is designed to pro-\nvide corps members with the opportunity to orient themselves to the\nschools, school districts, and communities in which they will be working.\nCorps members continue working together, with the guidance of veteran\nteachers and returning corps members, to prepare for their first years as\nteachers.\n8\nP07\nDirect Technical Assistance from Teach For America \"Support\nNational Computer Network\nDirectors\"\nCorps members are linked together nationally through America Online.\nTeach For America employs veteran teachers to identify teaching posi-\nTeach For America's private section of America OnLine offers: (a)\ntions in schools where the principal is likely to be supportive of the\nResources: lesson plans, educational software, tests, handouts, class-\ncorps member and to help ensure that he or she has a positive experi-\nroom ideas; (b) Opportunities for Collaboration: live conferences with\nence. Support Directors provide corps members with direct technical\ngroups of up to 8-12 corps members and ongoing discussions through\nassistance through classroom observations and one-on-one conferences.\nmessage boards and electronic mail; and (c) Guidance: certain Teach For\nAmerica faculty are available online to provide guidance, and corps\nOn-Site Mentoring\nmembers are encouraged to provide each other with feedback.\nWherever possible, Teach For America works with principals to ensure\nAccess to Local Resources\nthat corps members are paired with \"mentor\" teachers - veteran teach-\ners within their schools who can provide guidance and technical assis-\nRegions provide a variety of resources to support corps members in\nFROM : TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\ntance. Teach For America also attempts to ensure that corps members\ntheir professional development. These resources may include: work-\nand mentors have release time that enables them to observe each other's\nshops, print media and videos, books, directories to resources available\nclassrooms and have conferences with each other. In some schools, the\nin the community, a computer, a copy machine, and access to America\nOnline.\nmentor programs are formally established; in others, Teach For America\nis able to identify experienced teachers who volunteer their guidance to\ncorps members.\nUniversity Coursework\nMany corps members are required by the state or the district to take cer-\n\"Learning Teams\"\ntain university courses. Others who are not required to take courses\nCorps members are encouraged to continue working together through-\nmay choose to do so.\nout the school years, as they did during the Institute and Induction, on\nNewsletters\nprojects directly related to their classroom experiences. Each local office\nhas its own mechanisms for bringing corps members together in the\nMonthly regional newsletters and a quarterly national journal keep\nspirit of collaboration.\ncorps members abreast of local and national Teach For America happen-\nings, and provide another vehicle for corps members to share hopes and\nideas.\nHouse Conferences\nCorps members are grouped into five regional \"Houses\" - Texas,\nLouisiana, California, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern. Corps members of\nSecond Summer\nPHONE NO. : 202 737 3972\nthese Houses come together for 2-3 weekends during each school year.\nCorps members come together during the summer between their first\nThe purpose of these conferences is to:\nand second years for a week of workshops and guided reflection. A\nmajor component of Second Summer is a formal portfolio presentation,\nbuild esprit-de-corps\nsharing, and feedback.\nprovide workshops and resources needed to alleviate stress\nand meet immediate classroom needs\nThird Summer and Reunion\nallow time for portfolio sharing\nThis 3-4 day conference serves as the final step in corps members' pro-\nallow time for the guided development of personal profes-\nfessional development and as the first step in corps members' activities\nsional development plans\nas alumni. A major component of Third Summer includes a final portfo-\nlio presentation, sharing, and feedback.\n11\n10\nP08\nPortfolio\nLocal Offices\nCorps members compile portfolios for two purposes: (1) to enable them\nto chart their progress and to receive feedback and guidance throughout\ntheir development as a teachers; and (2) to enable outside entities\nTeach For America establishes local offices in each of its placement sites.\nincluding schools, districts, or states to assess corps members' progress\nThese offices are responsible for placing corps members and for provid-\ntoward the outcome-based standards.\ning them with the ongoing professional development outlined in the\nprevious section; for generating support among corporations and foun-\nThe portfolio is meant to reveal what the corps member has done, who\ndations, local media, and community organizations; and for working\nthe corps member is, and what the corps member knows. It should doc-\nwith districts, states, universities, and other educational organizations in\nument progress toward the outcome-based standards and may include\na collaborative effort to improve the ways that beginning teachers are\n(a) evidence of a corps member's activities in preparation for teaching, in\nrecruited, selected, developed, and supported. A Regional Director\nthe classroom, and in pursuit of professional development; and (b) self-\nleads each office in the pursuit of these goals.\nFROM : TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\nassessments of these activities.\nLocal offices generally operate under the guidance of an advisory group\nAssessment\nof community leaders and of a \"Corps Member Advisory Council.\"\nAt the Institute, Teach For America faculty are responsible for determin-\ning whether corps members may assume teaching positions through\nTeach For America. They make these judgements based on the corps\nmembers' practice teaching, participation in group meetings, and\nprogress as documented through the portfolio. Following the Institute,\nTeach For America faculty evaluate corps members on the basis of their\nNew York Qty\nportfolios, and principals evaluate their performance in the classroom.\nThe feedback of mentors and Support Directors is non-evaluative.\nBaltimore, MD\nOakland, CA\nWashington, DC\nHelena, AR\nRaleign, NC\nLos Augeles, CA\n(Mississippi Delta)\nAtlanta\nPHONE NO. 202 737 3972\nMilledgeville, GA\n\"We have a tough time getting top quality people.. I have not seen one\n[TFA corps member] yet whom I would not want teaching my son.\"\nHouston, TX\nFrank R. Petruzielo\nNew Orleans'\nSuperintendent, Houston Independent School District\nEdinburg, TX Baton Rouge, LA\nHouston Chronicle, 9/8/91\n12\n60d\n13\nOutreach & Advocacy\nAmerica a greater commitment to equal educational opportunity.\nThrough media attention, which includes a series of public service\nannouncements, we hope to change the American consciousnesss by\nTeach For America's outreach and advocacy efforts encourages corps\nshowing the public that thousands of individuals compete to enter the\nmembers to effect positive change in education by building a corps of\nprofession and find it incredibly challenging and rewarding, and by\neducation advocates, inspiring in America a greater commitment to\nhelping corps members speak and write about their experiences as\nensuring equal educational opportunity for all children, and elevating\nteachers in our nation's most under-resourced schools.\nthe image of teaching. Our outreach and advocacy efforts include the\nfollowing features:\nCampus Chapters\nTeach For America's campus chapters are founded and run by college\nReunions & Alumni Services\nstudents for the purpose of inspiring college students to become\nTeach For America seeks to facilitate ongoing communication between\ninvolved in K-12 public education. With an eye to involving college stu-\nFROM TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\ncorps member alumni and to inspire their ongoing involvement in the\ndents who might not otherwise work in education, chapters seek to\neducation system. Annual reunions seek to spark in alumni a new\nmatch resources of the university with the needs of one or more local\nvision for how they can work together to create positive change in edu-\npublic schools. For example, a chapter which discovers that a local\ncation. Additionally, Teach For America provides corps members with\nschool does not have a student newspaper might seek volunteers from\ninformation on continuing their involvement in education; an annual\nthe college newspaper staff to help the students start and run their own\nAlumni Directory; and access to an alumni field of the computer net-\nnewspaper.\nwork.\nLocal Alumni Groups\nLocal alumni groups exist wherever there is a critical mass of corps\nmembers and a level of interest that would justify their existence.\nGroups have frequent social get-togethers, regular planning and organi-\nzational meetings, and submissions to the local newsletters and quarter-\nly journal. Alumni groups determine their own projects, which may\n\"I have no doubt that at least one of the 15 teachers we have will\ninclude recruiting, providing services for current corps members, and\nhold political office or be in a position of influence some day.\nlocal service and advocacy projects.\nHaving spent two years in the classroom first can only help us.\"\nSteven Wrenn\nPHONE NO. 202 737 3972\nQuarterly Journal\nSuperintendent, Halifax County Schools\nThis magazine provides members of the Teach For America community\nHalifax, North Carolina\n(corps members, corps member alumni, faculty, and staff) with a forum\nRaleigh News and Observer, 11/29/91\nfor their viewpoints and updates on the developments at Teach For\nAmerica.\nForums on Education Reform\nLocal offices sponsor discussions on education reform for members of\nthe Teach For America community.\nPublic Relations and Advertising\nThe public relations arm of Teach For America works to institutionalize\nthe organization and program in the mind of the American public. In\nthe process, we aim to elevate the image of teaching and inspire in\n14\n15\nP10\nA National Advisory Panel assists Teach For America's research and\nResearch & Evaluation\nevaluation efforts by providing guidance in the development of survey\ninstruments and interview protocol sheets, selection of external evalua-\ntors, promotion of evaluation results to the general public and determi-\nThe goals of Teach For America's research and evaluation effort are\nnation of ongoing activities. Members of the Panel, who may not sup-\ntwofold:\nport every component of the program, include:\n(1) To monitor, evaluate, and disseminate information about pro-\nEmily Feistritzer, Director, National Center for Education Information\ngram effectiveness to provide guidance for internal program\ndevelopment; and\nMartin Haberman, Professor of Education, University of Wisconsin,\nMilwaukee\n(2) To determine, document, and disseminate information about the\neffectiveness of Teach For America for its constituencies - public\nNicholas Hobar, Senior Partner, Workforce 2000, Inc.\nschool districts, funders, corps members, and potential candi-\nFROM TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\ndates.\nLeo Klagholz, Director, Division of Teacher Preparation &\nCertification, New Jersey Department of Education\nThe purpose of the research and evaluation effort is to answer the fol-\nlowing questions:\nRichard Kunkel, Dean, College of Education, Auburn University\n(a) Are corps members effective teachers? If so, in what ways?\nMichael McKibbin, Consultant, Program Evaluation and Research\n(b) How do corps members compare to their peers?\nJean Miller, Director, Interstate New Teacher Assessment & Support\n(c) What contributions have corps members made to the schools,\nConsortium, Council of Chief State School Officers\nstudents, and communities they serve?\n(d) How effective are Teach For America's components in accom-\nLee Shulman, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education, Stanford\nplishing their stated objectives? (recruitment and selection,\nUniversity\nassignment and placement, pre-service Institute, ongoing pro-\nJames R. Smith, Senior Vice President, National Board for\nfessional development and support, outreach and advocacy)?\nProfessional Teaching Standards\n(e) To what can corps member effectiveness be attributed?\n(f) In what ways has Teach For America enhanced the teaching pro-\nWilliam Smith, Former U.S. Commissioner of Education, Former\nfession?\nDirector of Federal Teacher Corps\n(g) What impact has Teach For America had on other institutions?\nTrish Stoddart, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Education,\n(h) How has Teach For America influenced the attitudes, career\nUniversity of Utah\nPHONE NO. 202 737 3972\ndirections, and civic involvement of corps members?\nWilliam M. Wale, Director of Programs, Division of Professional\nTeach For America is contracting with an external organization to con-\nDevelopment, Texas Education Agency\nduct a study of program effectiveness. This evaluation will include a\nlongitudinal study of sample populations of corps members and will\ncompare their effectiveness to a matched control group.\nInternally, Teach For America administers survey instruments to\naddress the aforementioned questions: a pre-service survey to corps\nmembers entering the program; a post-Institute survey; a mid-year sur-\nvey to corps members and to those who provide them with ongoing\nprofessional development and support; a post-service survey to all\ncorps members who leave the program; and a post-service survey to\nprincipals and others who worked closely with corps members.\n17\nP11\n16\n1992 Corps Member Profile\n20 Colleges Most Attended\nUniv. of CA Berkeley\n18\nColby College\n9\nYale University\n14\nDartmouth College\n9\nNorthwestern\n13\nHarvard University\n9\nMale\nUniv. of Massachusetts\n11\nUniv. of N. Carolina\n9\n40.30%\nUniv. of Wisconsin\n11\nSUNY Binghamton\n8\nCornell University\n10\nStanford University\n8\nWellesley College\n10\nUniv. of Michigan\n8\nFemale\nWesleyan University\n10\nUniv. of Chicago\n8\n59.70%\nFROM : TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\nTufts University\n10\nBrown University\n7\nBoston College\n9\nUniv. of Pennsylvania 7\nGender\nAfrican-American\nEuropean-American\n21.2%\nCorps Member Average Age:\n23.3\n63.1%\nOldest Corps Member:\n44\nYoungest Corps Member:\n21\nLatino\n6.1%\nTop Ten Academic Majors\nPHONE NO. : 202 737 3972\nEnglish\nAsian-Americar\nPsychology\n7.3%\nPolitical Science\nSpanish\nOther*\nBiology\n\"Other\nNative-American\n2.3%\nMathematics\nMiddle Eastern\nInternational Studies\nPacific Islander\nGeneral Science\n(7/92)\nHistory\nEthnicity\nSociology\n18\n19\nP12\nCharter Corps Test Results\nThe Organization\nNational Teachers Exam Core Battery Percentage Passing\nWith the goal of maintaining the spirit, responsiveness, and energy\nComparison Based on Highest Qualifying Score (660)\nwhich have characterized our first three years, we hope to facilitate a\nconstant infusion of former corps members into staff and management\n100\npositions. Our organizational structure is designed to accommodate\n90\nTFA % Pass\nthis goal while ensuring institutional memory and program quality.\n80\n70\nNational % Pan\nThe structure can be graphically represented by a set of propellers - one\n60\ndetermines and executes the service strategy; the other determines and\n50\nexecutes the development strategy. The propellers revolve around a\n40\nhorizontal axis which determines and executes the management strategy\nFROM : TEACH FOR AMERICA DC\n30\n20\nof the organization as a whole. A set of supports ensures that the pro-\n10\npellers continue to operate.\n0\nCommunication\nGeneral\nProfessional\nKnowledge\nOrganizational Structure\nKnowledge\nService\nDevelopment\nStrategy\nStrategy\nSelf-Reported Standardized Test Scores\nPROPELLERS\nCombined Average SAT scores: 1251\nEducation Majors in 1988 average SAT scores: 950\nComparison of TFA and National NTE Specialty Test Scores\nManagement\nStrategy\nManagement\nExecution\nTFA Mean\n800\nSUPPORTS\nPHONE NO. : 202 737 3972\n700\nNational Mean\nFinance\n600\nPR\nR&E\n500\nOffice\nDevelopment\nManagement\n400\nExecution\n& Technology\nService Execution\nAssignment &\nPlacement\n300\nCM Support\nOutreech & Advocacy\nPD\n200\nR&5\n100\n0\nThe Strategic Management Group determines Teach For America's man-\nEducation is\nBiology and\nEnglish\nMath\nChemistry,\nSocial\nSpanish\nagement strategy by making decisions relating to expansion, budgeting,\nElectronicy\nGeneral\nLanguage\nPhysics, and\nStudies\nScience\nand\nGeneral\nand organizational structure. The President chairs the Strategic\nLiterature\nScience\nManagement Group. The Managing Director is in charge of overall\n20\n21\nP13\nROBERT GORDON\n300 Central Park West\nNew York, NY 10024\n(212) 362-4059\nEDUCATION\nHarvard College. A.B. with honors in Social Studies expected. Currently on leave. Group I Dean's List,\nall six semesters. GPA=3.85. John Harvard Scholarship, Harvard University Scholarship, Telluride\nAssociation Scholarship, National Merit Scholarship. Advanced coursework in urban policy, political\ntheory and economics.\nEXPERIENCE\nPresidential Transition. Legislative Assistant. Develop National Service Trust Fund plan in\nconsultation with congressional experts, academic leaders and key service organizations. Revise and\nedit several domestic policy presentations to President-Elect. (11/92-present)\nClinton/Gore '92. Writer and Domestic Policy Specialist. Working in the \"war room\" operation, wrote\npress releases, talking points, position papers, direct mail, brochures and attack flyers. Co-edited and\ncontributed to Putting People First. Developed Clinton proposals on community development and\nwelfare reform. (5/92-11/92)\nNew York City Department of Finance. Executive Assistant to the Commissioner. As a Government\nScholar, helped produce property tax reform and waste reduction plans. (6/91-8/91)\nOrganization for Agricultural Development. Consultant. Developed promotional materials and\nliterature for program to aid small farmers in the Caribbean. (8/91-9/91)\nCambridge City Council. Research Assistant. Studied rent control statutes and delivered reform\nproposal. (9/90-12/90)\nNational Federation of Community Development Credit Unions. Policy Analyst. Studied success\nand failure among community groups and wrote report on redlining in Brooklyn, NY. (6/90-8/90)\nCivics Education Project. Director. Created curriculum, trained teachers, and expanded 50 volunteer\nprogram that uses role-playing to raise questions about civic responsibility in urban schools. Served\nin cabinet of Phillips Brooks House, Harvard's public service organization. (12/90-5/92)\nCommittee for Housing Rights. Board Member. Through mailings, foundation applications,\nfundraising events and free media, raised more than $40,000 to create a revolving fund that offers\nhomeless individuals loans to finance rents. (9/90-5/92)\nThe Harvard Crimson. Editor. Wrote editorials and news stories, developed staff positions, and helped\nproduce daily newspaper. (11/91-5/92)\nPerspective: Harvard's Liberal Monthly. Senior Editor. Edited, produced and wrote for Harvard's\nlargest political journal. (11/90-12/91)\nDear Bruce,\nI hope you can tell me what sort of job I could get in the administration before I decide\nwhether to return to school in the Spring.\nI know that since I'm young and not an expert on anything, I will be pretty far down in the\nscheme of things wherever I am. So I'd like to be in a neat place, working for smart people\nwho will give me real responsibility even though I'm sort of a kid. Bob was a dream here,\nand Bill is not. And I'd like to stop sitting in front of my computer all the time and start\ntalking to people, playing politics and all that. (This note may prove that I can't write, once\nand for all.)\nIdeally, I'd be in the White House, working for you on most anything substantial, though\nnational service is a first choice. Of course I'd also work on service elsewhere, and maybe\non welfare and such, but an agency sounds like not the right place for me right now.\nOther stuff: Money isn't much of an issue. The fact that I might leave in September\nprobably is for you. I need to talk to Bob. And I'm ready to be told that I've gotten too\nbig for my boots, or whatever the saying is. So fire away.\nThanks,\nRobert"
}