An iPad, with a TFA Logo, The Downfall of the Great American School
News nerds, like myself, sometimes like to set up Google News Alerts for various things important to themselves. My Teach For America news alerts let me know each day what newspapers and websites are talking about TFA across the nation. I highly suggest this for people too lazy to actually type words into Google.
Imagine my surprise when I see TFA pop up on Daily Kos – the venerable elder statesman of the liberal blogosphere. Even more interesting, this blog post was specifically titled “Defeating Teach for America at the Apple Store — A Small Victory.” Of course, this post is referencing Apple’s recent donation of thousands of iPads to TFA teachers across the country.
The rest of the post is one person’s rant against the perceived affront to education that Apple, a private company, has perpetuated by donating refurbished versions of its product to a non-profit. I will have to let you read this rant, plus watch a really informative video, on your own because I flat-out refuse to spend the time and blog space going through, paragraph by paragraph, and refuting a webpage full of crazy.
There is one quote I need to pull out and emphasize, which I think gets at the root of what annoys me so much about this post. While on her quest, this blogger quixotically called Apple to inform them that their “campaign was a fraud and that Apple was giving legitimacy to an organization proven to do real harm to children.” (Emphasis mine)
You are allowed to rant via blog. This is about what 90% of the internet is all about. Unfortunately, I MUST respond to the statement that TFA is PROVEN to do REAL harm to children. Without providing any evidence to support her claim she lets this ridiculousness underlie the entire premise of her rant, therefore invalidating any sort of argument she is attempting to make.
As a quick response… I want to go over a sample of four studies, amongst many, that refute the idea that TFA does HARM to students. I will start with an opinion (like I teach my children) and then back it up with evidence (like I teach my children).
Teach For America does not harm children. My evidence…
1) From Tennessee – a study that shows TFA teachers often outperform veteran teachers in many subjects.
2) From the American Educational Research Association - a study showing the retention of TFA teachers in their placement schools.
3) From the Urban Institue – a study that shows TFA teachers are more effective, on average, than TFA teachers in most subjects – especially math and science.
4) From Harvard – a study showing that the characteristics screened for in the TFA selection process have a measurable impact on student achievement.
I am sorry Daily Kos diarist, you may have free rein to rant and post ridiculous YouTube videos, which probably took up valuable lesson planning time, but you are not allowed to your own ridiculous and unsubstantiated facts.
PS – Apple did not end their campaign due to this woman’s efforts, like she wants you to believe, they finished it and started handing out iPads to TFA teachers across the nation.
Posted from my (TFA) iPad.
necs2010
nolateacherlady
tduv
