Max Fisher The Student Newspaper of the College of William and Mary College writes:
The number of scientific studies on TFA’s effectiveness is enormous: not only because it involves education, an issue of significant interest, but because TFA’s founder, Wendy Kopp, is an incredibly skilled public relations maven, having turned her self-declared “triumph” into both a book deal and a speaking tour.
The findings of those studies appear somewhat conflicted: some report TFA teachers are effective, others ineffective. School principals generally say that TFA teachers are “as good or better” than their certified faculty. But a Stanford University study of student achievement tests shows TFA teachers as less effective then their peers, perhaps indicating that TFA teachers are more skilled at impressing principals than educating students.
4 responses so far ↓
edbooked // June 10, 2008 at 2:26 pm |
Perhaps the desire of corporate America to become more involved with public education is because public education in America has already been hijacked by politicians who insist on polically inspired policies detrimental to sound principles of education. I recommend for your conscientious considerating The Twilight’s Last Gleaming On Public Education, a portion of which may be viewed online by contacting the publisher at http://www.Xlibris.com, clicking on their Bookstore link, then Searching by title. This book offers an intriguing and socially relevant story which focuses on the challenges, potential, and obstacles that currently litter the public education landscape. The author constructs a fascinating and enlightening sory, which possesses many of the elements commonly found in just about every school system throughout the United States. Navigating the plot to a well-conceived and logical conclusion, the author strives to leave the reader with a sense of time well invested in the reading of this story. Check it out for youself. You comments are welcome for consideration in future editions of the continuing story.
debunktfa // June 10, 2008 at 9:00 pm |
See now, here’s what I don’t understand. You cite the “socially relevant story which focuses on the challenges, potential, and obstacles that currently litter the public education landscape.”
Teach for America also discusses the educational inequities that low income children face. On their website, they discuss poor health care and socioeconomic problems.
So, why do people in this country have socioeconomic problems?
Well, perhaps it’s because they don’t have jobs that pay them a living wage. Who is responsible for paying individuals sub par wages? It’s certainly not the politicians.
No, it’s the corporations, whose greedy embrace of the “free market” and the globalization of labor is leaving ordinary people to live on the poverty line.
Look at the Walton family-owners of Walmart. On the one hand, they refuse to pay their workers a living wage and deny them health care benefits. On the other hand, they turn around and donate money for “educational” purposes. Please. It’ s hypocritical and self serving. They could do enormous good by paying people a living wage, but then their profit wouldn’t be as high, now would it- and profit is the bottom line, isn’t it?
When the Waltons started funding charter schools, I immediately became suspicious, as should everyone.
Ryan // June 22, 2008 at 7:34 pm |
So it is a bad thing that Wal-Mart gives money to charter schools? Should not donate money?
At least they’re doing something.
debunktfa // June 23, 2008 at 12:44 am |
I don’t feel like repeating myself over an over again:
“Among such projects, the Waltons tend to fund the most mind-numbing and cultish, giving in 2003 alone nearly $3 million to Knowledge Is Power (KIPP) schools and millions more to other schools using the KIPP curriculum, which emphasizes regimented recitation rather than critical or creative thinking. Particularly widespread in low-income neighborhoods, such schools seem bent on disciplining and exhorting the poor rather than developing human potential (much like Wal-Mart as a workplace, with its relentless company cheers and dead-end jobs).”
http://debunktfa.wordpress.com/2008/04/25/on-the-wal-mart-money-trail/