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Teach for America: 10 Best Places to Start a Career

By 3L at Seton Hall University School of Law and Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review.

Teach For America's next application deadline is September 21. The national service program requires a two year commitment to teach in the country's lowest income communities. A significant portion of TFA alumni continue with a career in education after the two year commitment. However, the organization recognizes--indeed, it wholly expects--that many teachers will leave the classroom after two years and continue with careers in business, law, medicine, etc. While this serves as one of the main points of criticism--even from within the organization--the two year commitment attracts the nation's brightest and most promising graduates. The brevity of the commitment it mitigated by studies showing that even though these graduates lack the extensive training of traditionally-educated teachers, TFA teachers are as effective, if not more so, than traditionally-educated counterparts. Many TFA alumni will grow into leaders of their respective fields--and the experience will help spearhead the type of change required to eliminate the achievement gap.

Full post as published by Urban Law Journal on September 16, 2007 (boomark / email).