Searching for the educators of the future

Over the next five years, approximately 2 million teachers will be required to educate America's youth. At the same time, the number of college graduates moving away from educational service is growing. Even in first-rate national institutions, this trend is becoming apparent as the Teach for America information session at Penn -- held in the lower level of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall on Monday night -- attracted fewer than half the students it did in 1999. But members of TFA stressed to a crowd of 45 seniors that this initial decline in numbers in no way thwarts the efforts that TFA is making -- and will continue to make -- in order to fulfill its mission statement: "One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education." At its annual recruiting effort at Penn, TFA representatives explored the advantages, benefits and rewards of their experiences and encouraged students to join the team. TFA is a non-profit organization that strives to attract a talented and diverse group of college graduates to fill two-year teaching internships throughout the country, mostly in poorer school districts. "Our two main goals are to level the playing field, allowing students in all areas to receive an excellent education and to promoting a life long commitment to education," said Esther Hahn, TFA's recruitment director for the Middle Atlantic region. Hahn was joined by two other members of the TFA corps, Marc Mannella and Michelle Smith, both of whom shared a broad range of experiences with the audience about their unique teaching experiences. Mannella's experience has prompted him to pursue a career in education. "TFA struck a chord in me; I was excited about going into a place that needed me," said Mannella, who spent his TFA stint teaching science in a West Baltimore public school. While many students seemed enthusiastic about the program and inspired by both teachers' experience, several posed questions regarding personal concerns. Some wondered whether they would be behind their classmates if they decided to go to graduate school after TFA, while others were worried that they would not make an efficient use of the education they had received. "We understand the pressure to translate education into huge financial success, but the question is what you value," Hahn said. Those who spoke on behalf of the teaching program said they believed that working as a teacher is perhaps the most effective use of a Penn education. College senior Cathy Holland, for one, agreed. "Teaching is challenging and takes a certain kind of person to succeed. As challenging as it is, it is really beneficial to society," Holland said. Complicating matters, she added, is that it is often more difficult for seniors to pursue jobs that are unrelated to financial services. Despite concerns, many of the students said they planned to file an application and consider the program for next year. TFA will be accepting its first round of applicants this October and will host two subsequent application periods. In April, TFA will have selected its core of 900 students from various backgrounds. This year's class was composed of 17 percent African Americans, 8 percent Hispanics, 8 percent Asians and 1 percent Native Americans.