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Friday, June 14, 2019

Teach for America rears its ugly head in Jacksonville again

Just when you thought they were gone they try and claw their way back in. 

Last Tuesday the new director of TFA Jax, Nancy McScabteacher, or something gave a TFA presentation to the board.

Now the board should have some legitimate concerns about filling all of the vacant positions especially in some of our neediest schools. The problem here is since TFA does the exact opposite of what we know to be best for those children, Teach for America is a solution worse than the problem.

Furthermore can we just put to bed that TFA isn't here to replace more expensive veteran teachers, just look at what happened in Jefferson county.

From the Tallahassee Democrat, 

Half of Jefferson County Schools' teachers will not return next year as a charter school company takes over the struggling district.

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2017/05/24/half-jefferson-county-teachers-lose-jobs/102094174/?fbclid=IwAR21VeMAvJ1sPieTp-K8E9AzXN_WWYH3kHdTslelUcVEWMYj-29q3SYEHt8

Gosh, who is going to replace all those teachers? Well if you guessed Teach for America you guessed right.

From TFA Jax,

m excited to share an update and an opportunity with current and future Jacksonville corps members. In addition to placement opportunities that will be available to you in Duval County, both in Duval County Public Schools and in area charter partners, we will also partnering with nearby Jefferson County. This district, which serves 700 students in two buildings—one for pre-K through fifth grade, and a combined middle and high school—has garnered statewide attention for its struggles to close gaps in student achievement and the historic improvement plans that will be underway next year. The Jefferson County leadership team requested the support of dedicated and impactful Teach For America Jacksonville corps members to help achieve their ambitious goals for the 2018-2019 school year, and we were more than happy to answer the call!
There is a great need for transformational leaders like you to positively impact students in Jefferson County. More than 7 in 10 Jefferson County students qualify for free lunches, and more than 8 in 10 students are black or Hispanic. The students there—like every student across the nation—have all the potential in the world, but unlike students in more affluent communities, the realities of educational inequity are creating barriers to their future opportunities.
Wow, Willie is downright giddy to see his novices with six weeks of training replace veteran teachers.

Friends charters staffed by TFA is a vision that Gary Chartrand, Mayor Curry and others have too and if the district invites them back it's like having the fox guard the hen house, and if you don't think that could ever happen, well friends just look at Jefferson county. Oh and did I mention it's bad for kids too?

Last year the district told TFA if any of their corp members wanted to apply like anyone else can then that was fine and 18 did so. That's okay, but to reenter into a partnership with them would tell us all that the district isn't really serious about taking care of our children, especially the most vulnerable.

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