Please assist if you can...
This past year, Washington State passed a law allowing alternative teaching certification programs like Teach for America to enter our state. In the months that followed, TFA's new site development team worked (and continues to work) relentlessly to ink contracts with partnering districts. Thus far, TFA is scheduled to have corps members in the Federal Way and Tacoma Public Schools districts, but is still awaiting approval from Seattle Public Schools. TFA Seattle (formally named Teach for America Puget Sound) was introduced to the Seattle School Board as an agenda item this past Wednesday, November 3rd. A large number of alumni attended the event to voice their support for the organization. The board will vote on Wednesday, November 17th to bring 20-25 corps members to Seattle Public Schools for the 2011-12 school year. TFA is committed to bringing excellent teachers into Seattle's lowest performing schools and it makes for a truly powerful statement to have a large community of supporters writing emails ahead of the scheduled vote voicing their support. Board members are currently receiving a number of emails opposing TFA. We need them to hear about the benefits of TFA especially for students.
If you have the time, whether you are a TFA alum or just a person that is passionate about education, please write a quick email (you don't have to be from this state) voicing your support for Teach for America coming to Seattle Public Schools. It is much needed and would help the under-served students of Seattle so much! Below is a stock email to get you started if you wish. Please edit as you see fit. Thanks!
Dear Board Member,
I'm writing to express my support of Teach For America.
-Teach For America will bring a much needed source of diverse talent
to Seattle Public Schools at a time when student achievement growth
shows staggering gaps between kids of color and their white
counterparts.
-This is a problem that can be solved, and we should take immediate
action to strengthen and diversify the pool of teachers we bring into
the district.
-Teach For America has proven results for student success -- the most
rigorous research shows that Teach For America has a positive effect
on student achievement
-Over the long-term, Teach For America will create a pipeline of
education leaders advocating for ALL kids
-We must take action now to create more opportunities for student
success and Teach For America is one way that we can do that
-I hope we can count on your support to bring Teach For America to
Seattle Public Schools
Email to one of the following:
peter.maier@seattleschools.org
I sent mine in.
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