Difference between revisions of "Teach for America"

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'''Teach For America''' was launched in 1990 by [[Wendy Kopp]] and "is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity." <ref>[http://www.teachforamerica.org/about/index.htm About Us], Teach for America, accessed July 7, 2007</ref>
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'''Teach For America''' was launched in 1990 by [[Wendy Kopp]] and "is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity." <ref>[http://www.teachforamerica.org/about/index.htm About Us], Teach for America, accessed July 7, 2007</ref>
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==Controversies==
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By 2008, the group had 5,000 teachers-in-training and a $75 million budget, with one third of it coming from U.S. taxpayers through local school districts, state and the federal government. The group failed to account for half of that money, however. A CBS News report found that TFA had no basic records or receipts, even for a $123,878 training expense or a $342,428 bill. A government audit showed TFA failed to keep any records on expenditures of a quarter of a million taxpayer dollars apparently spent on food and lodging ($277,262) and $26,812 for teacher certification. Auditors found no documentation that any teachers actually attended and completed the class, or that there even was a class at all. TFA vice president Kevin Huffman attributed the audit's unsatisfactory findings to poor record keeping. He later supplied more documentation regarding the expenses, but those documents contained discrepancies that made the matter worse. Taxpayer advocates expressed astonishment that TFA had become such a large organization with such faulty bookkeeping practices.<ref>Sharyl Attkisson [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/11/eveningnews/main4254956.shtml Teach For America Gets Schooled: Organization That Trains Teachers Gets A Failing Grade For Its Accounting Skills], CBS News, July 11, 2008</ref><ref>Katie Couric [http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4254988n&tag=related;photovideo Teach for America Questions], Follow the Money, CBS News video, August 4, 2008</ref>
  
 
==Funders==
 
==Funders==

Revision as of 21:37, 24 March 2011

Teach For America was launched in 1990 by Wendy Kopp and "is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity." [1]

Controversies

By 2008, the group had 5,000 teachers-in-training and a $75 million budget, with one third of it coming from U.S. taxpayers through local school districts, state and the federal government. The group failed to account for half of that money, however. A CBS News report found that TFA had no basic records or receipts, even for a $123,878 training expense or a $342,428 bill. A government audit showed TFA failed to keep any records on expenditures of a quarter of a million taxpayer dollars apparently spent on food and lodging ($277,262) and $26,812 for teacher certification. Auditors found no documentation that any teachers actually attended and completed the class, or that there even was a class at all. TFA vice president Kevin Huffman attributed the audit's unsatisfactory findings to poor record keeping. He later supplied more documentation regarding the expenses, but those documents contained discrepancies that made the matter worse. Taxpayer advocates expressed astonishment that TFA had become such a large organization with such faulty bookkeeping practices.[2][3]

Funders

TFA publishes a list of its funders on its web site. Among TFA's largest funders (in the $10 million group) are the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation (Wal-Mart). Other high-dollar funders include the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Doris & Donald Fisher Fund and Rainwater Charitable Funds and Martha and Bruce Karsh.

Corporate funders giving between $1 million and $5 million:

Other corporate funders include (partial list):

Directors

TFA also gets funding from the U.S. government through AmeriCorps.[6]

Criticism

TFA has been criticized, and praised by some, for increasing the supply of young, enthusiastic, non-unionized teachers working in school systems across the U.S. [7] Teach For America also has started supplying teachers to charter schools, which don't allow teaches to unionize.[8]

Contact

315 West 36th Street
7th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-279-2080
Fax: 212-279-2081
Web: http://www.teachforamerica.org

Resources and articles

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. ↑ About Us, Teach for America, accessed July 7, 2007
  2. ↑ Sharyl Attkisson Teach For America Gets Schooled: Organization That Trains Teachers Gets A Failing Grade For Its Accounting Skills, CBS News, July 11, 2008
  3. ↑ Katie Couric Teach for America Questions, Follow the Money, CBS News video, August 4, 2008
  4. ↑ Teach for America About Us/Donors, organizational web page, accessed March 25, 2011
  5. ↑ Boards, Teach for America, accessed July 7, 2007
  6. ↑ Elizabeth C. Bloom The TFA Party, the Harvard Crimson, March 22, 2011
  7. ↑ Elizabeth C. Bloom The TFA Party, the Harvard Crimson, March 22, 2011
  8. ↑ Alejandra Cancino Teach For America supplies charter schools, Chicago Tribune, September 27, 2010
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