Teacher Preparation

After 20 Years, Diverse Opinions on TFA

By Stephen Sawchuk — March 15, 2011 1 min read
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Make time to check out a great collection of Commentary pieces on Teach For America’s 20th anniversary that appear in this week’s Education Week.

TFA has been a high-profile and controversial part of the education scene for a long enough time that its impact is felt not just in classrooms, but increasingly in key leadership positions. With that in mind, this package was carefully assembled by our Commentary editors to include perspectives ranging from TFA’s founder Wendy Kopp, to critics, to alumni and former corps members who stayed in the K-12 education space.

Despite the recent loss of its federal $18 million annual earmark, TFA has had record numbers of applicants and placements in recent years. Debates about the program’s effectiveness continue, but interest in other aspects of the program, like its recruitment and professional-development system, is also growing.

The bottom line: For now, this program is here to stay, so get caught up on what people are saying about it. Then let us know what you think.

A version of this news article first appeared in the Teacher Beat blog.