Teach For America (TFA) Dallas-Fort Worth is welcoming more than 70 educators to North Texas this fall, all of whom will be trained through the organization’s hybrid pre-service model, which includes both a virtual component and in-person teaching experience in partnership with IDEA and Rocketship Public Schools. Their time in local classrooms this summer will offer them an opportunity to learn from local veteran teachers, and more quickly understand schools and students in North Texas.
Students and educators have been working hard to regain academic ground since the pandemic hit, but the recovery so far is slow and uneven. ACT scores are the lowest they’ve been in 30 years, and only 40% of SAT takers met or exceeded reading, writing, and math benchmarks for college readiness. Summer learning is an effective means of slowing learning loss and helping students get to grade level, particularly in math, and has shown to be a successful academic intervention post-covid.
TFA corps members make a lifelong commitment to educational equity, and spend at least two years teaching in under-resourced schools in rural and urban areas nationwide; in the Dallas-Fort Worth, they serve in Dallas ISD, Fort Worth ISD, IDEA Public Schools, Rocketship Public Schools, and Uplift Education. These 70+ teachers join a growing network of TFA corps members and alumni of the program—over 5,600 in Texas, who are leading classrooms, schools, districts, and working across sectors to impact the education system.
“We’re deeply excited about our partnership with IDEA and Rocketship Public Schools to reach students this summer,” said Bibi Yasmin Katsev, Executive Director of Teach For America Dallas-Fort Worth. “Our summer programming provides critical summer education opportunities to students, while helping our newest educators get to know the local community.”
“We are proud to collaborate with Teach For America in providing enriching summer learning opportunities for our students,” said Rian Townsend, Executive Director of IDEA Public Schools in Tarrant County. “Together, we are committed to ensuring every child has access to quality education and the support they need to succeed.”
As of June 11th, these TFA teachers, known as corps members, are leading classrooms under the supervision of experienced mentors in each district. This summer’s programming is a key component of TFA’s multi-part, intensive pre-service experience, which began in May and will extend through teachers’ first 90 days in the classroom, and which all 270+ new TFA educators who will be teaching in Texas schools this fall will experience. Training will focus on instruction, learning environments, diversity, equity, and inclusiveness, and content.
source: press release
