My Afternoon with NEA President Lily Garcia

This afternoon I got to join a small group of New Jersey bloggers\people with large social media presences who met with National Education Association (NEA) President Lily Eskelsen Garcia. She is on a national tour, traveling to all different states and meeting with bloggers. Rather than meet with mainstream media sources who "have already written the story before you are even interviewed," the goal is to meet with trusted, independent writers who research and link to evidence rather than just stating what was already decided ahead of time - which, sadly, has become a characteristic of many mainstream media outlets.

In this meeting I was with so many of my education- blogger- inspirations, such as Jersey Jazzman, Marie Corfield, Ani McHugh, Melissa Tomlinson, and Darcie Cimarusti. All of them, I'm sure in the next few hours, are going to write amazing pieces summing up today's meetings with links to sources for further reading and suggestions for steps moving forward. I will keep this short, leave the rest of the writing to the experts I mentioned above, and offer my concluding thoughts and reactions to today.

Ms. Garcia's main message of today, and what the NEA has launched a campaign around: "End Toxic Testing." From the NEA website: 

"Delegates to the National Education Association’s annual meeting in July voted to launch a national campaign to put the focus of assessments and accountability back on student learning and end the "test, blame, and punish" system that has dominated public education in the last decade.  The campaign will among other things seek to end the abuse and overuse of high-stakes standardized tests and reduce the amount of student and instructional time consumed by them. 

"The anti-toxic testing measure also calls for governmental oversight of the powerful testing industry with the creation of a “testing ombudsman” by the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Consumer Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission. The position will serve as a watchdog over the influential testing industry and monitor testing companies’ impact on education legislation. NEA will continue to push the president and Congress to completely overhaul ESEA and end mandates that require yearly testing, and to lift mandates requiring states to administer outdated tests that aren’t aligned to school curricula."

One example of this high-stakes testing monster can be found in stories from other places across the country, where, as Ms. Garcia mentioned, students deal with situations like this:

"Andrea Rediske’s 11-year-old son Ethan, is dying. Last year, Ethan, who was born with brain damage, has cerebral palsy and is blind, was forced to take a version of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test over the space of two weeks last year because the state of Florida required that every student take one. His mom has to prove that Ethan, now in a morphine coma, is in no condition to take another test this year."

One of my biggest take away's from this meeting is actually a quote from Ms. Garcia herself: “Maybe we need more people to say no to a bad idea than to put lipstick on a pig.” I feel the same way about the Common Core State Standards, which was not mentioned once during this meeting. I was planning on bringing up the issue of the standards, but we were running low on time and that is not a conversation you can have in-depth in the last 30 seconds. While I completely support the campaign against 'toxic testing,' I don't think you can ignore Common Core in that discussion. Common Core and high-stakes standardized tests are a package deal, driven by one another. To really address the root of the issue, both would have to be discussed. But education is just as much a political game as the next, so I really wasn't expecting much more than what was said: nothing. 

The Common Core debate is not about whether or not the standards are 'good' or not; this is an issue of what the Common Core State Standards are intended to do and what they represent: an undemocratic process of philanthropists and businesses trying to exert control over public education through the size of their pockets. No matter what the intention behind 'education reform' and those funding these changes, the standards are a part of a bigger machine. Diane Ravitch sums up my thoughts best:

"After much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that I can’t wait five or ten years to find out whether test scores go up or down, whether or not schools improve, and whether the kids now far behind are worse off than they are today. 

"I have come to the conclusion that the Common Core standards effort is fundamentally flawed by the process with which they have been foisted upon the nation.The Common Core standards have been adopted in 46 states and the District of Columbia without any field test. They are being imposed on the children of this nation despite the fact that no one has any idea how they will affect students, teachers, or schools. We are a nation of guinea pigs, almost all trying an unknown new program at the same time. 

"Maybe the standards will be great. Maybe they will be a disaster. Maybe they will improve achievement. Maybe they will widen the achievement gaps between haves and have-nots. Maybe they will cause the children who now struggle to give up altogether. Would the Federal Drug Administration approve the use of a drug with no trials, no concern for possible harm or unintended consequences? 

"President Obama and Secretary Duncan often say that the Common Core standards were developed by the states and voluntarily adopted by them. This is not true. 

"They were developed by an organization called Achieve and the National Governors Association, both of which were generously funded by the Gates Foundation. There was minimal public engagement in the development of the Common Core. Their creation was neither grassroots nor did it emanate from the states."

Next time I get the opportunity to meet with Ms. Garcia or any high-ranking member of the NEA, this will be the first topic I will bring up. If we don't want our students to suffer how they have in the past and currently are, we must be brave enough to cross the political boundaries and have the conversations that need to be had: including Common Core, high-stakes standardized testing, school closures, charter schools, poverty, infrastructure issues, income inequality, etc. 

Until we have those conversations and work to make change where the actual problems are - and address the root of the problems - it's just another nice meet-and-greet opportunity.

**Let me add the following: Ms. Garcia was an absolute pleasure to meet with and I was so honored to have been asked to join. She was approachable, friendly, listened to all of our questions and thoughts, and expressed many of the same concerns as those of us in the room. I hope that under her leadership, we can turn this ship around and begin to both have these discussions and take action for the best of the students and the future of public education. 

Meeting with Ms. Garcia. Photo credit to Jennifer Marsh. 

Scavenger Hunt for Evidence at the NJDOE - Winner Gets A Gift Card for Pearson Products!

Today I spent the morning with some of my favorite Common Core cheerleaders at the State Board of Education meeting. The focus today, was of course, Common Core, and it was an all-around cheery presentation with some more hand-selected teachers talking about how the Common Core saved them and was the greatest improvement in their classrooms ever. 

As always, I like to start with some of my favorite quotes from the day and my personal reactions to those statements: 

David Hespe (Commissioner of Education): "The common core is the answer to many if not all of the problems many people face in preparing students for the future." 

My reaction: OF COURSE IT IS!! Poverty, income inequality, dangerous urban areas, instability at home, unfunded mandates\underfunding of schools, systematic inequality and racism - those are all wiped out by Common Core! Why didn't we think of this sooner?!?!

Teacher on the panel (I will include name when they are put online): "We're asking students to work together, cite their evidence and justify, and develop skills for the classroom and life."

My reaction: Yeah, because no student has ever done such a great thing! All we've created up to this point are robot students who memorize information and never have an original thought in their head, don't know how to use evidence, and have zero skills for the real world! How has anyone survived up this point?

Kimberly Harrington (Acting Chief Academic Officer): "The standards [common core state standards] are written by experts and a team of educators."

My reaction: The day you tell me exactly who those "experts" are, how much you paid them to say what you're telling the public, and how many years experience they've had in a classroom, then I'll consider their opinions. "Team of educators," now that part is just flat out laughable. 

David Hespe: "We found the best standards [common core state standards] we could nationally."

My reaction: Yeah, they're the best thing since sliced bread! Really, come on. Did you realize states are pulling out of Common Core and dropping PARCC like flies? How about the complete uproar communities are in over this? Ah, but I forgot, the bubble the DOE lives in is impermeable, so no real news from the outside gets in. 

Now, unfortunately the presentation from today is not on the website yet, but I will update this post with a link as soon as possible. As always, I am going over highlights, but I suggest you still take the time to go through the entire presentation. I will be sharing my notes, but again, please go through the actual powerpoint put out by the DOE.

One slide in the presentation was about "shifts" that will happen under the common core. These include (quick points just from my notes):

1. "Have students use reasoning"
2. "Have personalized learning in the classroom"
3. "[Have students] do more than just finding answers and completing tasks"

They act as if no teacher in the state of New Jersey, and around the country for that matter, has never done any of these things. No teacher has ever asked students to go beyond memorizing. No teacher has ever addressed students individual needs through personalized learning. Of course. Keep telling us about teachers' job without stepping foot in their classroom. 

The State Board of Education and the Department of Education in New Jersey act as if no teacher knows now to teach, no student has ever been successful, and that Common Core is the end-all-be-all in "saving our failing education system." Yet out of the other sides of their mouths, they talk about how much they love and support teachers, how successful our students are, and how great education is in New Jersey. They honestly talk out of both sides of their mouths. We're going to tell you how amazing you are, and at the same time come in and change everything because you're an epic failure. Yeah, that makes sense.

I still have one simple request for the state board of education, the department of education, and he commissioner of education: show us the evidence. 

All day the presenters and panelists have been throwing around words\phrases like "rigor," "achievement," "educator effectiveness," "we need a common language," "CCSS eliminates the need for remedial courses," and on and on and on. 

The DOE and State Board of Education need to stop saying how important it is to "consult experts on the matters" of standards and curriculum. Who are these experts? How many years have they taught in a classroom? These are not unreasonable questions and we, the public, deserve answers. 

Here's a crazy idea: how about you consult with teachers, students, and parents, the ones who are actually impacted by these mandates\reforms? 

Common Core is all about presenting evidence and backing up claims with real hard facts.

Well, NJDOE, it's your turn. How about you present us with some of the evidence that proves all of these mandates are in the best interest of students, teachers, communities, and the future of public education. 

Because I've got a lot of evidence that says otherwise. Any day you want to sit down with a group of people who really know what's happening on the ground - not hand-selected teachers who say exactly what you want - I'm sure there would be a line out the door. But you would actually have to listen. And as always, not holding my breath on any of this. 

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The Day Commissioner of Education David Hespe Asked for my Contact Info...

I just got back from August’s State Board of Education meeting here in New Jersey. There was a lot of information given today on a lot of different topics, and I’m going to need a little time to take it all in. The main presentations on Student Growth Objectives (SGO’s) were extremely dense and the presenters - Tim Matheny (my former principal!) and Peter Shulman - went through the details pretty quickly.

I am not going to take the time to break down the power points because, as I said, they are very dense, and I personally think it would be best for those interested to go through these themselves very carefully. But, I will highlight some quotes from the presentation, and include my reaction and response to today’s meeting.

The “Educator Evaluation TEACHNJ Power Point” from today can be found here: http://www.state.nj.us/education/sboe/meetings/2014/August/public/Educator%20Evaluation%20TEACHNJ%20power%20point_P.ppt

And the “State Board SGO Final” (meaning the changes made to the percentages and details of TEACHNJ/SGO’s) can be found here:

http://www.state.nj.us/education/sboe/meetings/2014/August/public/State%20Board%20%20SGO%208%206%2014%20FINAL%20tm.ppt

*Disclaimer: when going through these presentations, move all valuables away from yourself because I promise you will want to throw them at a wall. And maybe keep a pillow nearby so you can slam your head into it. Yes, it’s that bad.

Before I go into reactions, let’s highlight some of my favorite quotes from today:

1. David Hespe, Commissioner of Education, on Student Growth Objectives and their implementation - “The process is going very, very well.”

• My reaction: Lol. Okay. Keep chillin in that bubble you're living in. When you’re ready to come back into the real world, let us know.

2. Tim Matheny - "Teachers are moving towards more sophisticated SGO's because they really feel like it reflects the realities of their classrooms."

• My reaction: LOL. Oh my gosh where is my popcorn for this entertainment? Please introduce me to the teacher’s that you’re referencing.  

3. Peter Shulman - “Common sense usually prevails.”

• My reaction: Let’s just say that ‘usually’ would be the key word here…

When Matheny and Shulman’s were done presenting, State Board of Education Member Edithe Fulton did something I was totally not expecting - she brought me up! [I am not putting this here to toot my own horn, but it is important to today’s developments] I am paraphrasing here, but this is roughly what the exchange looked like:

Fulton: At the last public testimony, there was an 18 year old here who is a future teacher who testified about the impact of these evaluations, and she got it, she understands, and like I told her last time I wish we could clone her!

Matheny: Yes, she is a former student of where I was principal.

Fulton: Well, I’m wondering about the things she brought up. Where is the evidence for what we are doing here?

Bam. Right there. Where is the evidence for what we are doing here? Where is the evidence for all of the reforms and changes being implemented?

To quote my good friend and mentor Lisa Rodgers, “CCSS pushes students to present facts behind their statements.. where is the NJDOE on this when they present theirs?”

This brings me to my one and only question for the State Board of Education and the Commissioner of Education after this presentation:

1. WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?
1. Subquestion: Where is the evidence for the changes you made today? The percentages for SGO’s, SGP’s, and teacher practice were all shifted. How did you come to the conclusion to change these percentages? Is there any evidence that these changes were based off of, or was this just a response to the outcry of educators, parents, and experts as a way to *attempt to* ‘quiet us down’ (because we will not be quiet)?

Not once during this presentation was the matter of LEARNING addressed. Yeah, remember that little thing called learning? No, it was all about “measuring” teachers (whatever that means) and boiling them down to one number. As I wrote in my testimony that Edithe Fulton referenced:

“Teachers know that you can't measure the joy and pride a student feels when they finally figure out that math problem they always struggled with. Teachers know that you can't measure the feeling of self-confidence and self-worth a student experiences when they nail that presentation they worked so hard on by overcoming their fears of being in front of a class. Teachers know that you can't measure the bond between students and teachers, both individually and as a class, because for many students in urban districts school is the one safe place where they know they will be loved and supported. As Nicholas Ferroni, educator and author, best states: ‘Students who are loved at home, come to school to learn, and students who aren't, come to school to be loved.’”

At the end of the meeting, I went up to Edithe Fulton to thank her for her comments. She then told me that she gave copies of my testimony to all of the members of the State Board and the Commissioner himself. She then proceeded to introduce me to the newly appointed State Board of Education President Mark Biedron and David Hespe himself.

Shockingly, to me, Commissioner Hespe then asked for my contact information so we can “further discuss the concerns that you’ve [meaning me] raised and what you [again me] wrote about.”

Well, Mr. Hespe, this is your shot. This is your chance to turn the bus around and prove that you care about the voices of students, future teachers, current teachers, and parents - not hand-selected teachers to come and tell the board how amazing these reforms are and how they had NO idea how to teach before the Common Core and SGO’s!

You have my name. You have where I attend school. You have my email. And you have my direct, personal cell phone number.

Based on past records, I’m not holding my breath on this one.

But miracles have happened before.

*Here is the testimony I gave at the last State Board of Education meeting: http://theeducationactivist.blogspot.com/2014/07/state-board-of-education-testimony-79.html

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BAT's March on DC Speech

A Compilation of Past Writings, Plus Some

BAT’s March on DC – July 28th, 2014

Good morning my fellow Badass Teachers! It is such an honor to be speaking here today.

My name is Melissa Katz, and I am 19 years old. I will be going into my sophomore year at The College of New Jersey in good ol’ crazy Jersey studying Urban Elementary Education. I am a student activist, traveling across New Jersey (and now DC!) attending different education events, testifying at the State Board of Education, and meeting so many different, inspiring people also in the fight for public education. I am also a part of the amazing group Save Our Schools New Jersey, a grassroots, non-partisan, and volunteer led and powered organization of over 20,000 parents and other concerned residents who believe that all New Jersey children should have access to high quality public education. And just last week, I decided to add one more thing to my plate by announcing that I will be running for the board of education in my town of South Brunswick, New Jersey.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been asked, “Why do you want to go into education? Why do you want to be a teacher? Don’t you know how much more money you could be making in another profession?” Back in March I spoke at a rally for public education in Trenton, and my response is still the same as it was then: The answer to all of these questions is simple: I have an undeniable belief in and love for our public schools, because public education is the great equalizer among us.

Based off of endless research, it is clear that these so-called “reforms” – the big examples being common core, new standardized testing, expansion of charter schools and so-called “school choice,” and new teacher evaluation systems – are not the answer to the issues we have in education that are mainly from outside sources – poverty, growing income inequality, dangerous environments in urban districts, unstable home life for some children, slashed school funding that has caused a gross underfunding of our schools, unfunded mandates –  the list goes on, and these reforms are only going to worsen the issues we already have.

Public education is under attack. There is an effort by public education reformers to undermine what we know as public education, demoralize and dehumanize teachers and the teaching profession, and sell the false tale of the failure of students and teachers that can only be quote-un-quote “fixed” by promoting school choice and increased standardized testing. 

My response: The kids in this country are not guinea pigs for the state, corporations, big businesses, and venture philanthropists to experiment on. There is absolutely no proof that Common Core is going to quote-un-quote “improve education,” “close the achievement gap,” or any of the other claims it makes to magically fix education with absolutely no evidence or proof of validity. There is absolutely no proof for the use of student standardized test scores being a valid way to measure “teacher effectiveness,” yet we’re moving full steam ahead with using student standardized test scores being incorporated as a large portion of a teacher’s evaluation. None of the changes in education happening today have been tested, retested, peer reviewed, tested again, and then slowly implemented in stages as anything else would be done in the business world where these reforms are coming from.

Our schools are the livelihood, center, and bringing-together of our communities. And if there’s one thing I want everyone to walk away with, it is the understanding that my teachers are not common. They are one-of-a-kind educators who put their all into making sure that their students experience true learning. My teachers went above and beyond for me – they stayed after class and talked with me about anything and everything, from politics to English to my worries and life questions. My teachers answered my emails after midnight without question if I was concerned about something and stood by me though the peaks and downfalls in life. They provided me with support and guidance when I felt lost or worried. My teachers not only taught me in the classroom but they taught me about the bigger picture and the world as a whole. My teachers played a huge role in shaping me into the person I am today – they developed personal relationships with me. And I can guarantee you that none these things will be found in a teacher evaluation or on any standardized test.

To quote Diane Ravitch from her piece “To Fight for Public Schools is to Fight for Democracy: “We oppose the status quo. We seek better schools for all children. We will work diligently with like-minded allies until we can turn the tide, turn it away from those who seek silver bullets or profits, and turn the tide towards those who work to restore public education as the public institution dedicated to spreading knowledge and skills, advancing equality of educational opportunity, and improving the lives of children and communities, while encouraging collaboration and a commitment to democratic values.”

At 19 years old, I am often reminded that I am ‘only a student.’ But I am not just a student – I’m a person with a voice. I’m a member of the state of New Jersey and our communities – I am a voting member of the state of New Jersey. I am a product of our schools that taught me how to think independently and creatively, not how to fill in a bubble on a standardized test. I stand behind our schools. I stand behind our educators. I stand behind our communities. And I stand in front of you to tell you that I will do whatever it takes to protect my schools for corporate takeover in any shape or form.

I, along with all of the other future public school teachers, must come together at this time and educate one another. We all must band together collectively, in partnership with current public school teachers, parents, students, and community members, and reclaim our future profession.

And beyond this collective partnership, us future teachers must fight for ourselves. We must fight for our profession. We must fight for our future students.

So to all of the future teachers out there: when someone asks you why you want to teach, saying that you want to be a fun teacher isn’t good enough; saying you want to make a difference is also not enough anymore. Tell people how you want to make a difference - and then do it. I want to teach my students about social justice and equity. I want to make change within my own classroom, within the community I teach in, and work to address the deep issues in society that impact the classroom such as poverty, income inequality, and children’s home lives. Words are no longer enough; action is required of all of us, individually and collectively.

We must all stay involved, be active, fight for what we believe in, and most importantly never let anyone convince us not to go into education - we are the next generations of teachers. The opportunity to reclaim public education from philanthropists, big businesses, and reformers is right in front of us, and it is imperative that we do so.

We have a voice that no one else has - we have nothing holding us back. We are obligated to take this opportunity and voice our opposition to the attacks on our profession. We are obligated to take this opportunity and voice our opposition to the reforms we know are not in the best interest of students, but rather only for those who can make money off of our students.

For the future of the teaching profession, we cannot afford to have future teachers who are anything less than passionate, dedicated, and ready to fight.

And we all must continue to push the same demands from the rally back in March I referenced earlier: Stop closing neighborhood schools. Stop attacking and scapegoating our educators. Stop the high-stakes testing madness. And fully fund our schools according to the law. Let's stand FOR our children, FOR our democracy, FOR great schools, FOR our dedicated teachers, and FOR local control!

We will win the fight for public schools, teachers, and students all across this country. We will win the fight against billionaires, philanthropists, for-profit corporations, and reformers seeking to line their pockets off of the backs of our students. We will win this fight for the future generations of artists, scientists, electricians, creators and inventors. We will win this fight so I, as a future public school teacher, can walk into the classroom on my very first day, look around the room, and know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. We will win this fight so I can stand proudly and one day, in the near future, say that I am one badass teacher.

Outside of the U.S. Department of Education building while on lunch break from the rally!

My Two Cents on Teach for America

Here we go again.

“Mel, when are you going to join Teach for America (TFA). Since you’re an urban education major, I just assumed you’d be the first to join!”

Please excuse me for a moment while I bang my head against a wall repeatedly.

We’ve been through this before: I have a lot of issues with Teach for America, which include some of the following: TFA brings in some of the most inexperienced teachers and puts them into urban districts, where many times the most experienced and committed teachers are needed. TFA grads are even pushing out veteran teachers (does this surprise you?); with such a high turnover rate, they can keep them at the bottom of the pay scale, and continually keep costs down while teachers come in and out of schools like they are on a conveyor belt. Branching off of this, and to make matters worse, students in urban districts with TFA grads as their ‘teachers’ experience much more instability due to the turnover, again when those students are in need of the most stability. Teach for America, in my opinion, is no more than a resume-padding two-year stint (if the corps members even stay the full two-years they commit to) that, in my opinion, preserves, rather than eliminates, 'educational inequity' and the so-called 'achievement gap.'

I have not (and in case you didn’t figure it out by now), will NEVER join TFA or be associated with the organization in any way. Just google “Why I Quit Teach for America” and you’re sure to come across a slew of articles and personal anecdotes as to why people left after getting involved and read about their many issues. To sum this up, I will leave it to Gary Rubinstein, one of the most outspoken critics of TFA:

“The organization of TFA is a bit like a pyramid scheme.  There are a bunch of VPs who are making a lot of money for a non-profit, certainly six figures. Then there are the majority of staffers, people who work in recruitment, teacher ‘effectiveness’, even the alumni team, IT, etc., who make much less. But regardless of the status of the TFA staffer, they all have one thing in common: They are all accessories to a $300 million annual fraud funded, in part, by taxpayers, and which has, I’m sorry to say, contributed to the weakening of the pub[l]ic school system which has, in turn, hurt innocent kids and, yes, their hard working teachers.

And here he gives advice to the 2014 TFA Corps Members:

“TFA is an organization that now thrives on greed, deception, and fear. The deception, though, is the thing that is more relevant to you. I’ll let you know about the others some other time. Part of the deception is that they promote a very oversimplified view of their success. They would have you believe that a good percent of the new CMs [corps members] are way better than the ‘average’ teacher, mainly because of the high expectations of the CM. They may even say this is aided by the new high expectations of the fancy new common core standards. Unfortunately, this oversimplified version of reality will lead you to struggle very much your first year, and to fail to be the teacher your students deserve.”

While I don't want to automatically attack anyone involved with TFA, as I do not know them personally and are unsure of their motives and beliefs, it is hard for me not to fault people who do join TFA. When committing to an organization as such, I have to question whether or not the corps members actually did any research on the organization beyond what they heard in recruitment sessions or in mass media where the anti-teacher, anti-public education tale is one told too often. If someone really did their research on the organization, wouldn't they be bothered by the fact that someone with only five WEEKS of training is entering a school which is likely in one of the neediest places in the country? Why is it that I am spending five YEARS getting my masters degree in urban education studies, yet TFA grads can spend a summer training and prance right into a classroom full of 30 kids that each carry a backpack full of their own issues.

Some may respond to this by saying, "well, if you have the gift of teaching, it doesn't matter how much education you have. Teaching is an art." I wouldn't disagree entirely with this argument. I absolutely believe teaching is an art and that some people simply have a "gift" for teaching. But having that "gift" does not mean that you are ready whatsoever to step foot into a classroom. Over the five years I'm spending in a specially designed Urban Elementary Education program at The College of New Jersey, I will take multiple classes on content that applies specifically to urban experiences, multiple semesters of in-classroom placement in urban settings in addition to theory classes connected to these in-placement classes, classes on childhood development, and within all of this learn about lesson plans, curriculum writing, produce my ow independent research, and better myself in all aspects of education as a whole, while specifically tailoring my knowledge and understanding to teaching in an urban district.

The "gift" may get you started, but it's not enough. Not even a fraction of what I'm doing could be achieved within five weeks.

A report from The Wire in July of 2013 chronicled the organizing resistance to Teach for America from people within the organization:

"'As a non-TFA person, I can point out some of the weaknesses in the program, but it's far more powerful when people who are in the program can speak to that,' said Anthony Cody, an outspoken California-based educator who spent 18 years as an Oakland science teacher, during which time, he estimates, he worked with about 30 TFA members in a mentoring program. 'It's really heartening to see teachers who come from TFA that are thinking for themselves and drawing on their experiences in the classroom to realize that there are some real significant problems with the TFA approach...'

"But indeed, many of Teach for America's most vicious opponents point out that the high turnover of trainees being dispatched to some of the country's most challenging school districts—often without any long-term plans to be teachers—is precisely the problem. Anthony Cody's experiences in Oakland corroborated this critique. In a typical cycle, the school would lose about half of its corps members after their second year. By the third year, half of those who had remained after the second year would be gone. The problem, Cody explained, is that many who join Teach for America don't actually want to be teachers in the first place, instead using the program as a prestigious stepping stone for policy work, law school, or business school. One study found that roughly 57 percent of corps members planned to teach for two years or less when they applied, while only 11 percent intended to make teaching a lifelong career. (TFA has claimed, however, that 36 percent remain in the classroom as teachers. But their recently announced partnership with Goldman Sachs, which provides TFA recruits with jobs at the banking firm after two years of service, doesn't entirely help their cause.)"

As someone who is a non-TFA member, it may be hard to believe what I'm saying. But there is endless anecdotal evidence on the internet about TFA members who felt woefully unprepared.

Sandra Korn, a senior at Harvard College (as of 2013) and a New Jersey public school graduate, raised her own concerns over the 'training' that corps members receive:

“For one, I am far from ready to enter a classroom on my own. Indeed, in my experience Harvard students have increasingly acknowledged that TFA drastically under-prepares its recruits for the reality of teaching. But more importantly, TFA is not only sending young, idealistic, and inexperienced college grads into schools in neighborhoods different from where they're from -- it's also working to destroy the American public education system. As a hopeful future teacher, that is not something I could ever conscionably put my name behind...

“But it has become increasingly clear to anyone who thinks critically about teaching that there's something off with TFA's model. After all, TFA alumni repeatedly describe their stints in the American public education system as some of the hardest two years of their lives. Doesn't it bother you to imagine undertrained 22-year-olds standing in front of an crowded classroom and struggling through every class period? Indeed, most of the critiques of TFAin The Crimson have focused on students' unpreparedness to teach.

“However, unpreparedness pales in comparison to the much larger problem with TFA: It undermines the American public education system from the very foundation by urging the replacement of experienced career teachers with a neoliberal model of interchangeable educators and standardized testing. If TFA intended to place students in schools with insufficient numbers of teachers, it has strayed far from its original goal. As an essay by Chicago teacher Kenzo Shibata asked last summer, ‘Teach For America wanted to help stem a teacher shortage. Why then are thousands of experienced educators being replaced by hundreds of new college graduates?’ Journalist James Cersonsky notes that veteran teachers and schools alike may suffer from this type of reform: ‘Districts pay thousands in fees to TFA for each corps member in addition to their salaries -- at the expense of the existing teacher workforce. Chicago, for example, is closing 48 schools and laying off 850 teachers and staff while welcoming 350 corps members.’”

This morning, as I was pondering my thoughts on this topic, I read a wonderful article by Nancy Bailey, teacher, author, and blogger. In response to President Obama sitting down with four teachers to discuss education, she writes the following as real solutions to the issues that plague poor students and urban schools:

"Furthermore, despite Duncan’s letter, it appears that their myopic outlook focuses primarily on teaching and data again and not on a host of other serious issues confronting children in poor schools today. Here are examples:

5. Here is a new question for the administration to hash over. They always discuss disadvantaged children like they all have low abilities. Well what about disadvantaged children that are gifted and talented? How will they be served by Common Core State Standards? Who’s even bothering to identify these kids?

6. Along with no. 5, we know that all children, including disadvantaged children, flourish in the arts. The arts include music, art, drama, and dance and they should be included in every public school. Sadly, many poor children miss out on the arts, because they are prepping for high-stakes tests. And blending the arts into the academics isn’t necessarily bad, but currently this is being used as a substitute for real art programs. Children deserve the arts and real credentialed art teachers!

7. Speaking of high-stakes testing–parents, and the students, across the country are sick of them. They are detrimental to the well-being of all children, especially the disadvantaged.

8. If you want to do something for poor children, lower their class sizes, especially in K-3rd grade, and quit the flunking. There is a huge amount of research on both these issues.

9. Where are the wrap-around services for children in the early years, and quality preschool programs that are based on sound child developmental research?

10. A safe and healthy environment was mentioned. Many schools in this country, especially in urban and rural areas, do not fit that description. A comprehensive facility assessment of schools, considering up-to-date building codes is warranted. There are many schools across the nation that are old and need repairs and renovations. Special consideration should be taken when it comes to schools that could be dangerous in tornadoes and earthquakes.

11. Disadvantaged children need counselors, social workers and school nurses to help them rise above their conditions, which sometimes can include homelessness, and they need access to good health care and assistance getting it. Every child in this country should have access to medical and dental care!"

This really puts things in perspective. I am passionate about urban education, and because of that I know that we as a nation must address the read hard issues that impact urban districts - poverty, racism, violence, other stressors that impact families, income inequality, hunger, etc. There are no fast solutions to problems such as these that are so deeply engrained in our society, and that includes Teach for America. It is going to take a strong commitment from all parties involved in education to evaluate these issues and work towards making change, which begins with addressing the fundamental issues that plague urban students and schools. 

Every student, no matter their socioeconomic status or zip code, deserves to be in a safe school with proper infrastructure and with a teacher who goes into the profession committed to staying a lifetime with a passion for education. For these reasons and many more, I cannot support Teach for America.

For more information on the campaign and SUPE:
http://studentsresistingtfa.k12newsnetwork.com/