Teach For America Makes the Grade at Challenged Schools, Criticism Aside
Organization's energy, growth set a good example in education, writes Andrew Rotherham, so why the vitriol?
"Research by independent research organizations shows that on average Teach For America teachers are as good or better than other teachers, and not just the hodgepodge of last-minute hires in districts without enough teachers, but also traditionally trained teachers and veterans. Those results say as much about Teach For America's effectiveness as about the sorry state of teacher training today. Yet overall it is clear that corps members are doing no harm in the classroom. This explains why superintendents in high-need communities—who are accountable for student learning and represent the market test for the program—aggressively seek out Teach For America teachers."
http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2009/02/09/teach-for-america-makes-the-grade-at-challenged-schools-criticism-aside.html?PageNr=1%20
"Research by independent research organizations shows that on average Teach For America teachers are as good or better than other teachers, and not just the hodgepodge of last-minute hires in districts without enough teachers, but also traditionally trained teachers and veterans. Those results say as much about Teach For America's effectiveness as about the sorry state of teacher training today. Yet overall it is clear that corps members are doing no harm in the classroom. This explains why superintendents in high-need communities—who are accountable for student learning and represent the market test for the program—aggressively seek out Teach For America teachers."
http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2009/02/09/teach-for-america-makes-the-grade-at-challenged-schools-criticism-aside.html?PageNr=1%20
