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| Teach for America Recruits Veterans to Fight for Education |
| posted by: Ruthie | November 12, 2012, 07:06 PM |
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Teach For America, one of the leading teacher training programs in the country, recently launched an initiative to recruit top military veterans to underserved classrooms. Under the leadership of former US Army Staff Sergeant and 2009 Teach for America (TFA) alumnus Shaun Murphy, TFA will expand its recruitment pool to the brave men and women who have served our country. Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the program will enable veterans to continue serving their communities after coming home from war and provide them with the "well-deserved opportunity to transition into meaningful careers in the civilian workforce." "Joining Teach for America is an opportunity for veterans to put their leadership and skills to work in America's highest-need communities while meeting their desire to continue to serve our nation," Murphy said. Entitled, "You Served For America, Now Teach For America," the program aims to invest in sustaining relationships with generations of veterans for years to come. All branches of the military will be considered for the initiative. Military vets are uniquely equipped to face the challenges of high-needs classrooms. "So many of the qualities that make strong teachers in low-income classrooms are the same as those instilled through military service: discipline, resiliency, cultural sensitivity, and high expectations, to name a few," said Murphy. According to insiders, the new partnership is a natural fit for veterans and TFA organizers. To read more about how Murphy became a TFA corps member check out the Teach For America blog. One program participant, LaDerrick Collins, is a 10-year veteran of the armed forces. Collins joined Teach For America after serving three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He now fights a whole new battle as a fourth grade math and science teacher in Kansas City. "Soldiers are required to do whatever it takes to get a job done. I've found teaching to be no different," said Collins. Teach for America's workforce is becoming larger and more diverse every year. Currently it boasts 10,000 first and second year teachers in 46 communities across the US, serving 750,000 students. TFA proudly welcomed over 100 American veteran members this year. What do you think about TFA's new program? Can students uniquely benefit from having teachers from a military background? Comment below.
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