GUEST POST: Myths of committing to TFA, Julie Gorlewski
Buffalo, NY, a city desperate for jobs that will allow young people to remain in the area and mitigate the “brain drain,” is on the verge of hiring 60 Teach for American (TFA) temps. The Buffalo News, which has published an editorial supporting this decision, is not interested in publishing my piece:
Another Voice: TFA: Mistake or Malevolence?
The decision to bring TFA to Buffalo Schools will have negative consequences for students, teachers, and the community. Although it has been promoted (this is a key word) as successful and beneficial, it is worthwhile to consider the facts that emerge when the shiny surface of TFA is scratched.
Myth 1: TFA workers are extraordinarily committed. TFA temps, despite being lauded for their commitment to the profession (by Buffalo School Superintendent and the Buffalo News) are not demonstrably more committed than teachers who have intentionally chosen teaching as their profession. The claim that TFA temps are more dedicated than fully credentialed teachers is ludicrous, yet it is repeated. Unlike certified teachers, who often incur debt to earn their degrees and certifications, TFA temps do not pay for their minimal training. In fact, they are paid to participate as they learn to teach in the classrooms of unsuspecting children.
Myth 2: TFA temps benefit the district financially. It costs a great deal of money to hire and induct teachers
Another Voice: TFA: Mistake or Malevolence?
The decision to bring TFA to Buffalo Schools will have negative consequences for students, teachers, and the community. Although it has been promoted (this is a key word) as successful and beneficial, it is worthwhile to consider the facts that emerge when the shiny surface of TFA is scratched.
Myth 1: TFA workers are extraordinarily committed. TFA temps, despite being lauded for their commitment to the profession (by Buffalo School Superintendent and the Buffalo News) are not demonstrably more committed than teachers who have intentionally chosen teaching as their profession. The claim that TFA temps are more dedicated than fully credentialed teachers is ludicrous, yet it is repeated. Unlike certified teachers, who often incur debt to earn their degrees and certifications, TFA temps do not pay for their minimal training. In fact, they are paid to participate as they learn to teach in the classrooms of unsuspecting children.
Myth 2: TFA temps benefit the district financially. It costs a great deal of money to hire and induct teachers
Pulling back the curtain. #CCSS
by Bianca Tanis, New York educator and parent.
The more I learn about the new, Common-Core-based ELA exams and APPR protocols, the more I wonder who, exactly, is running the show. Who is the “man behind the curtain,” and what is his real agenda? Certainly, it is not someone with a background in child or educational psychology, or even anyone competent, for that matter. As we head into the high stakes testing season, the utter lack of regard for developmentally appropriate content boggles my mind. Listening to the unpacking of the upcoming tests and scoring rubrics, I find myself unconsciously shaking my head in disbelief. We are accepting a new vision for education that elevates “college readiness” and data over child-centered learning and the development of a love for education.
Although most students will not join the testing fray until 3rd grade, the effects of the new, NYS Common Core
The more I learn about the new, Common-Core-based ELA exams and APPR protocols, the more I wonder who, exactly, is running the show. Who is the “man behind the curtain,” and what is his real agenda? Certainly, it is not someone with a background in child or educational psychology, or even anyone competent, for that matter. As we head into the high stakes testing season, the utter lack of regard for developmentally appropriate content boggles my mind. Listening to the unpacking of the upcoming tests and scoring rubrics, I find myself unconsciously shaking my head in disbelief. We are accepting a new vision for education that elevates “college readiness” and data over child-centered learning and the development of a love for education.
Although most students will not join the testing fray until 3rd grade, the effects of the new, NYS Common Core
