by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
In an effort to further expand its teacher pool, the Duval County School System is looking to become a Teach For America expansion city, perhaps as early as the start of the 2008 school year.
A New York-based organization, Teach For America recruits recent college graduates — regardless of their major — trains them and places them in cities in need of teachers in struggling and challenged schools. The entire City Council is backing a resolution that honors the organization and urges it to strongly consider Jacksonville.
City Council President Michael Corrigan said he’s in favor of the program and recognizes the need for it not just in Jacksonville, but across the state. He said bringing in more teachers will help Jacksonville comply with the state’s mandatory class-size amendment passed a few years ago by voters. The amendment caps class size and must be implemented by 2010.
Corrigan said Duval County School Superintendent Joseph Wise should be commended for looking at alternative methods to fill potential teacher shortages created by the classroom size requirement and teacher retirement.
One of the key aspects to the Teach For America initiative is a partnership with the local private sector for funding and other forms of support.
“I think Joey Wise has done a good job of reaching out to the business community,” said Corrigan. “I think we will be in the program by 2009 for sure but we desire to be in by 2008. This is a great tool to address the class size amendment. I have met with representatives from Teach For America. I think it’s going to work out.”
Teach For America was founded in 1990 and is currently in 25 cities across the country with plans to be in 33 by the year 2010. Josh Taylor is the vice president of communications for Teach For America. He said Jacksonville is high on the list for expansion.
“We’ve been in discussions with the City and the school system,” said Taylor. “We expect we will make our final determination for 2008 expansion cities later this year.”
Taylor said expansion is based primarily on two factors.
“One, is there a need? And two, is there going to be support from the business community and industry to make it work financially?” said Taylor.
“It takes a private funding commitment,” said Corrigan. “The teachers are paid a salary like the others. There is a cost to be part of the program, but it’s very successful.”
Taylor said Teach For America requires a two-year commitment from each graduate who knows going into the training process they are going to be assigned to somewhere other than their current hometown. Moving doesn’t seem to be a deterrent to either entering the program or staying.
“Of our most recent alumni, over 60 percent have remained in education,” said Taylor. “That’s pretty remarkable considering a majority of our members are not education majors. Not all of them stay in the classroom. Some go on to become principals, administrators or even start their own charter schools.”
Taylor said program recruits usually have any of several majors, but Teach For America heavily recruits those with math and science degrees.
“Clearly, there is a strong need for that in this country,” he said.
Both Corrigan and Taylor said Jacksonville wouldn’t be a bad place to spend the first two years as a professional.
“If you could choose between the frozen tundra and Jacksonville, Florida, the last part of that address doesn’t hurt at all,” said Corrigan.
“For our regional core members, Jacksonville would be a good place to work,” said Taylor, adding Teach For America does not pay relocation expenses.
Jane Vance is a consultant on special initiatives for the school system and has spent a great deal of time working on bringing the program to Jacksonville. She said talks began in early October and Jacksonville is one of eight cities competing for three expansion sites.
According to Vance, Duval County would get 50 teachers each of the first two years. And, they aren’t run-of-the-mill graduates, either.
“Their average GPA (grade point average) is over 3.5. Of those that applied, 10 percent were Yale and Dartmouth graduates and 9 percent were Harvard graduates,” said Vance.
According to Vance, it will cost the system $14,000 per teacher. Of that, the School Board last week voted 7-0 in support of providing $1,500 per teacher. The $12,500 difference will have to be made up through donations and sponsorships from the local business and philanthropic community. The $14,000 covers the cost of recruiting and training graduates and setting up a Teach For America office in Jacksonville.
“We have two lead donors right now,” said Vance, declining to name them.
The training isn’t easy, either, and Vance says those who complete the training are more than prepared for a career in education despite not having a degree in education.
“It’s a summer institute that lasts five weeks at 80 hours a week,” she said, adding the grueling training prepares recruits for life in front of the classroom. “They believe teaching is the hardest job in the country. They (the graduates) probably have offers where they would work 80 hours a week anyway.”
Vance also believes with that level of recent college graduate headed to town, the local business community will benefit regardless if the teachers stay in the system or, after two years, leave and seek a job locally.
“It’s an easy sell to the business community because even if they don’t stay and teach, who wouldn’t want a Harvard graduate with a 3.8 GPA in math to stay here and work?” she said.