Dive Summary:
- Alumni, academics and others are accusing Teach for America of being too closely affiliated with large private donors and high-profile alumni who went on to the political arena, straying from its core mission of filling teacher shortages in low-income, urban schools with top college grads.
- Top donors like the Walton Family Foundation have largely supported charter schools and subsidized private school for low-income students, while prominent alumni like education activist Michelle Rhee have advocated efforts seen as largely anti-union.
- Developments in California, Alabama, Louisiana and North Carolina are cited by critics, who also point out that too many cheaper-salaried Teach for America instructors are often selected over more qualified education school graduates—a move that worsens turnover rates and can harm students.
From the article:
... Last month, those opposed to Teach for America hosted a networking session in Chicago that included students, parents, community activists, academics and teachers inside and outside of the organization.
"The desire to make the world a better place is something that Teach for America taps into," said alumna Terrenda White, a graduate student at Teachers College, Columbia University, who also trains instructors.
"When did my willingness to teach in urban communities become translated to this very specific political agenda? It's not what I believe in."
