Once upon a time, Teach for America was much like the Peace Corps. It provided an opportunity for young, talented idealistic college grads to give back to communities where, as was the case in Houston, Texas, there was a teacher shortage.
But the organization, founded in 1989, has taken a different turn. Just recently, the Walton Foundation–champions for education “reform”–donated $20 million to TFA. TFA trains participants for a total of FIVE WEEKS. Notes writer Owen Davis,” Less than half of TFA teachers stay in placement schools past their two years, and upwards of 80% are gone after five.”
Diane Ravitch writes, “These are TFA graduates who went through the program and began to wonder if they were being used as cannon fodder by an organization that is now part of the corporate-funded privatization agenda.”