An Early Teach for America Recruit Calls for Organization's Abolition

 Reflections on TFA by Grace Kamagana

I was an early TFA recruit and I am looking for a way to fight from within. I despise what TFA has become and what it's done to my colleagues of color. I am also a Princeton Alumnus, close to many people who have access to Wendy Kopp. I have been a teacher for 15 years now, I am a parent of 3 in public schools. There are many of us out here ashamed of what TFA is doing and I for one intend to do something about it. A lot of TFA corps members go into it very idealistically particularly back when I did it. At that age what we don't understand is that the basic premise is- you are smart so you are better than those traditionally trained teachers just because you went to Princeton. Well... it's taken me 15 years to become a good teacher and every year I learn something new. TFA's premise and 5 week training program is an insult to the teaching profession and abusive to children. It has to go.