Books : One Day, All Children...: The Unlikely Triumph of Teach For America and What I Learned Along the Way
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 372.1100973
EAN: 9781891620928
ISBN: 1891620924
Label: PublicAffairs
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 208
Publication Date: 2001-04
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Release Date: April 10, 2001
Sales Rank: 216013
Studio: PublicAffairs
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The inspiring story of one young activist's visionary effort to revitalize our nation's neediest schools. As a 21year old college senior, Wendy Kopp decided to transform the education system in America. From her dorm room at Princeton University, she set about creating Teach For America, a program that sends outstanding college graduates to teach for two years in the most dilapidated and under-resourced urban and rural public schools in the United States. Since the first group of teachers entered classrooms in 1990, over 5,000 TFA corps members have been placed in teaching positions all over the country. With their astonishing classroom success, these young teachers have proven that it is possible for children in low-income areas to reach the same level of academic achievement as children in more privileged areas. One Day, All Children tells the remarkable story of one young woman's tenacious grasp on a seemingly impossible dream. It reveals the struggles of an organization created by and for young idealists. But more importantly, it explores the growth of a new civil rights movement, a movement that demands educational opportunity for all Americans. Wendy's dream is that one day, all children across the nation will have the opportunity to receive an excellent education. People are listening.
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This is the story of a dedicated, serious young woman who has done a lot to put education front and center. She gets a lot of credit and deserves it. We can also look at things this way: why is Teach for America necessary? This is the peace corps in America, is it not? How did this come to pass? The fact is that TFA's applicants wouldn't otherwise dream of being teachers. They don't want to be teachers. Had they wanted that, they would never have gone to good schools and great universities. The peace corps model is followed because the premise is that teaching in Africa or in America is a summer job, a fling, an internship, or a kind of junior league volunteer job for bored affluent boys and girls who are terrified of being identified with their aloof, pampered , suburban parents. Two years in Compton gives a Yale grad street cred, which can be used in job interviews. Girls can use it to persuade employers that they "care." It may or may not be helpful to have the kids hanging around American public schools. It's hard to say whether their presence is useful or not. No doubt "studies show" that TFA is the best thing that ever happened. What I can say is that one of the biggest problems in our schools is the revolving door of people coming and going. Almost every Principal in LAUSD has his or her transfer in with the hope of getting as far away from the inner-city as possible. Those who don't enjoy the combat pay. TFA only adds to this perception and to this reality.
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Several years have passed since Wendy Kopp wrote this account of how she established what has since become one of the most effective change agent organizations throughout public school education in the U.S., Teach For America. As I read her book, I was reminded of the song "Come Fly with Me" and the invitation extended by Cahn and Van Heusen's lyrics:
"Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly
Pack up, let's fly away!"
That is essentially the same invitation that Wendy Kopp has been extending to college graduates since 1990 and an invitation they, in turn, have then extended to public school students throughout the United States. Those recruited, trained, and assigned by Teach for America - making a two-year commitment to classroom teaching -- continue to help children entrusted to their care to dream what may at first seem "an impossible dream" to them, then pursue it. For many children, especially those growing up within low-income, high-crime communities, education can be their "passport" to a higher standard of living and better quality of life.
As Kopp explains in this book, after graduating from Princeton, she (age 21) raised $2.5 million of start-up funding for Teach For America, hired a skeleton staff, and launched a grass-roots recruitment campaign. During its first year in 1990, 500 men and women began teaching in six low-income communities across the country. Since then, Teach For America's network has grown to 17,000 ... Read More
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ONE DAY, ALL CHILDREN is the story of how Wendy Kopp started Teach For America. For those unfamiliar with the program, Teach For America is an organization that recruits college graduates and young adults to work for two years at inner city and rural schools where there are teaching shortages. Corps members are sent through an extremely extensive three week training program during the summer before heading off to their various assignments in the fall. Teach For America has come under criticism by the professional educational teaching programs because corps members aren't forced to go through a teacher education program before being hired. Personally, I think the program is a great idea that is meeting the needs of our nation's underprivileged children; instead of throwing money at the savage inequality of education, Teach For America is attempting to fix the problem.
ONE DAY, ALL CHILDREN explains how Kopp came up with the idea, how she got the organization started, the trials and tribulations of the organization during the first year, growing pains that happened years later, etc. Those who are familiar with Teach For America might find the book interesting as well as anyone looking for a somewhat inspiring story of a person who creating a national life changing educational agency from scratch. Those who are involved in education might enjoy reading the book, too, though professional teacher educators might balk at the idea of sleeping with an enemy that they seem ... Read More
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"One Day, All Children" is a captivating story of how Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach for America, and how she followed her dreams to DO SOMETHING about the harsh realities and failures of many of our public schools. Mind you, the book TELLS ALL, from fundraising nightmares to team member turmoil; this is not simply a book on idealistic pedagogy. The story is guaranteed to frustrate you and inspire you. That a fresh college grad, assisted by other fresh young people, established Teach for America is incredible. This is worthwhile reading for Teach for America applicants, new teachers, education students, and social justice-minded people.
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In less than 200 pages, Ms. Kopp details every step she took in establishing Teach for America, the national teaching corps for recent college graduates. Chapters 1-9 are a primer for fundraising techniques, non-profit organizational set-up and strong management skills. But, Chapter 10, the most interesting by far, is a lengthy description on what makes good educators. You may be inspired enough to join in the efforts in ensuring excellent education for all children in this great nation of ours.
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