[brasscitybluenwhite]

Good afternoon.

I am interested in "TeachforAmerica" and as I was looking the program up and I noticed that a number of members operate in Connecticut schools. Does anyone here know which districts the program operates in?

Also, are there any educators out there that have heard anything good or bad about the program? Comments?

[7 Wishes]

I believe they operate in Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and sometimes Stamford and Norwalk; as I looked into them in both NYC and CT.

What little I know of them is they're a great org, but unlike some other programs like these (like the NY City Teaching Fellows/national New Teacher Project), they (though they say otherwise in their literature) really favor people just out of college over "career changers" (which should actually favor you, with your Storrs address but forum name suggesting Waterbury I'm guessing you're a graduating senior at UConn). One knock some have on Teach for America is many don't see doing this as a career but the equivalent of putting something like the "Peace Corps" on their resumes and leave after their 2 or 3 years or when the economy is better, etc. and the schools get left in the lurch. But there are many others who have really made a great contribution to these school districts. I always find it fascinating that it started with the Princeton senior thesis of someone my age as a college kid and became the org it is almost instantly after that (she being Wendy Kopp and she still runs it....she's in her early 40s now and next year will be TFA's 20th anniversary).

Keep in mind that only about 1 out of 10 who apply get in (they took in more this year than before in every region except NYC itself, where budget issues made them cut the number they take in in half, but 1.5x as many people applied this year than in any past year). Also that while they try to put you where you want, you don't always get your first choice region, so you could end up in say California or the Mississippi Delta, etc.

[brasscitybluenwhite]

thanks for your response. I'm actually a rising senior but I think I wont be getting out until fall '10/spring '11.

[7 Wishes]

If you're not graduating until 2011, hopefully the economy will improve and Teach for America will be a little less tight in admittance. Though historically I think they still only took in like 1 out of 5 applicants or something like that. Good luck!