Former Newsweek correspondent Donna Foote gives us an inside look into our failing education system and the people trying to save it. Beginning in fall 2005 Foote stepped into Los Angeles’ Locke High School for a disheartening yet inspiring perspective of four new Teach For America members trying to make a difference.
Teach for America is a controversial non-profit program with a mission to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting college graduates through a highly competitive selection process. Foote’s documents the experiences of the teachers and students at the suffering Locke High School to give readers insight into Teach for America’s ambitious and sometimes overwhelming attempts to educate and guide students.
Donna Foote’s interest was sparked by a friend who switched careers to teach students at Locke and was shocked at the poor reading abilities of the students. The book takes the reader through the frustrations of the teachers, the motivation of the students, and the inspiring journey of education not just for the students in need but also the TFA members trying to help.
Foote’s insight and ability to convey the rookie teacher’s attempts, challenges, and successes brings emotion to the stories. Locke High School is known as one of the toughest schools in the nation, not for the challenging classes but rather the difficult environment and lifestyle that these kids must deal with. Before entering the classroom, Foote noted that at the Cripts-dominated school “only 11% of Locke’s 9th graders scored at the 50 percent level on reading and math” and roughly 3% completed requirements just to apply to California state universities. TFA was brought to Locke to help offset the dismal performance of the school.
I asked her some questions about her experience at Locke and what she learned.
What were your impressions of Locke and the environment these kids had to learn in?
It is definitely harder to, as one kid put it, ‘get your learning on’ when it is hard to get to campus in the first place. The gang problems meant that kids had to be aware of what color they were wearing and there are 14,000 kids homeless in Los Angeles. It is hard to go to school when you don’t have a home to go to.
Did you have skepticism about Teach for America before you began? How did your pre-conceived notions change?
Of course I had skepticism which is why I decided to write this book. There is a lot of criticism for this program, especially among the education establishment. I learned that the program was very good a selecting members for Teach for America but had difficulty retaining them.
Do you think that the expectations for the TFA students were too hard?
Teaching is a very demanding profession; you must be a guidance counselor and referee. TFA expects to set big goals and track these goals throughout the year, which is difficult. The program focuses of classroom achievement but the TFA members were able to help the kids out in other areas, such as Rochelle’s role as soccer coach.
With recent budget cuts to schools, do you think having TFAs and other non-profit programs to teach the kids can help offset high costs if funded outside of the government?
The problem isn’t necessarily the amount of money but rather that the schools don’t allocate the money well. Schools need to reexamine how the money is spent. The TFA program trains these new members to go into management positions in education. The program has a two pronged theory for change: send teachers in and also catalytic change. Systemic change can come from alumni of the program which has built a farm system in which recruits can move on to help in larger ways.
What do you think the greatest lesson that you and these TFA teachers learned?
Well it wasn’t just one lesson but the biggest one is that all children want to learn. If you teach them they will learn. There was not one met a kid that didn’t want to learn.
Would you be comfortable with your 14-year-old being taught by a TFA member?
After this experience, yes. I saw a lot of good teaching at Locke by all faculty members but I feel that the TFA members could teach kids just as well.
To learn more about this captivating and inspiring journey and discover the experience through the perspective of Locke students and faculty, check out Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches for America.
Photo by dcjohn via Flickr
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