Learning on Other People's Kids

This work captures the voices of TFA novices who offer candid accounts of their experiences inbecoming Teach For America Teachers. Previously unanswered questions are addressed: Why dorecent college graduates apply to Teach For America? How are they recruited trained and hired?How do they learn the culture (s) of the community schools grade level curriculum and childrenthey teach? Is there a culture of the TFA organization? What recommendations do they offer toTFA donors policy-makers future corps members and the public?Woven into this book are perspectives from mentors who worked alongside TFAers administratorswho hired them corporate C.E.O.'s who supported them and policies (both local andnational) that privileged TFA over non-TFA teachers. Finally a compelling series of eyewitnessnarratives introduces each chapter's theme documented from the author's own Notes from theField. These accounts offer rich descriptive vignettes that present the challenges TFAers faced as they occurred. Schools reflect themulti-tiered and often non-level playing field that comprises America's educational landscape. Learning on Other People's Kids:Becoming a Teach For America Teacher provides readers a glimpse into the corps member experience in a rare ethnographic account.