Running head: TRSL B EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE PLATFORM

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Amy M Hewett-Olatunde
TRSL B: Equity and Social Justice Platform
GED 8516 Leadership
Fall 2013
Hamline University




















TRSL B: EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE PLATFORM

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Teach for America (TFA) vs. the Achievement Gap

The Achievement Gap in the American Educational System has long been present
in the K-12 setting. The gap goes hand in hand with the concomitant hardships that
students of color face in this nation. The organization Teach for America (TFA) was
established to help counter this gap disadvantaged children encounter in education. As a
licensed and seasoned educator, I question how TFA teachers are going to solve this
problem if licensed teachers have been unable to do so for the most part. Teach for
America serves as a bandage for a systemic problem that will remain long past its
existence.
As an English Language Learner (ELL) teacher, I see the Achievement Gap
present in my classes every day. Equipping students to be lifelong learners while
preparing them also to pass state tests and consider post-secondary education as a
possibility is a daunting task. Teach For America is a non-profit organization whose
mission is to "eliminate educational inequity by enlisting high-achieving recent college
graduates and professionals to teach" (Teach for America, 2012) for at least two years to
students who live in poverty. Is two years adequate enough time for the Achievement
Gap to narrow, and it is enough time for students to feel successful and motivated past
the face-to-face relationship they have with the TFA teacher?
I dont oppose the sincere attempt of working to change the inequities that this
organization and its members are trying to eliminate. The issue that I, and many
professionals, have is that they are not trained teachers and no more capable of solving
the nations education problems than licensed teachers. The role of teacher is a
professional and personal odyssey, which requires professional and emotional
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development. Some teachers may have a clear idea, while others may need to grow into
their role as teacher before they embrace the work. This identity development takes time
and this career may not be what they imagined the work of teaching to be (Collay, p. 32).
TFA teachers are recent college graduates who are contracted to teach for two
years in socially and economically disadvantaged classrooms. Whereupon the completion
of their contract, they are given a professional teaching license. This is a slap in the face
for teachers everywhere. Instead of going through a teacher licensure program, including
all of the field experience and practicum requirements, Teach For America candidates
attend a pre-corps training institute for five weeks before being placed in a classroom.
There are universities across the nation that host TFA licensure programs.
Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota is one of those schools. A TFA candidate
teaches full-time for two years in an urban public school while also taking courses at
Hamline in order to earn their permanent Minnesota teaching license (Hamline
University, 2012). This seems counter to Hamlines rigorous and passionate commitment
to produce high-quality teachers. Part of this commitment should include equitable course
requirements to receive a Minnesota Teaching License.
Can this organizations teachers improve students test scores and improve high
school and college graduation rates? I dont believe that Teach for America will narrow
or eliminate the Achievement Gap, and placing these novice instructors in an already
disadvantaged classroom will not eradicate the long-term academic struggles these
students will face.


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References
Collay, M. (2011). Everyday teacher leadership: Taking action where you are. San
Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
School of Education. (n.d.). Teach for America. Retrieved November 1, 2013, from
http://www.hamline.edu/education/teacher-licensure/teach-for-america.html

Teach For America. (n.d.). Teach For America. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from
http://www.teachforamerica.org/
Part 2: Scholarly Characteristics
Criteria Scoring
Guide
Comments
The platform bridges or connects
your understanding and experience of
leadership and the course materials
and content.
5 4 3 2 1


The platform includes insight(s)
about yourself as a leader, based on
brief but concrete examples and
descriptions from the present, and
your hopes or intentions or both.
5 4 3 2 1





Criterion Scoring
Guide
Comments
Ideas and Content:
-Writer grounds espoused
theory(ies) about leadership by
citing specific authors/ theorists and
includes details (paraphrased or
verbatim) from their works or ideas.
-Writer provides brief concrete
examples and details from current
practice or what hopes to do or both.

5 4 3 2 1




5 4 3 2 1


Organization: Writer composes a
platform that is well organized so
that the readers may move through
text easily.
5 4 3 2 1


Voice: Writer is engaged, imparts
personal tone, individuality
5 4 3 2 1


Conventions: Writer demonstrates
standard spelling, punctuation,
grammar and attribution of sources,
if necessary.
5 4 3 2 1


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