Natasha Danielle Escobar is a bit perplexed. The instructions written on the paper she’s holding require her to document her experience in leading a "professional learning community" at her school. However, this task proves to be challenging when there are only two Spanish teachers, including her. "This is the first time I’ve been part of a department with more than one person!" she exclaims.
Gathered in a conference room at Teach For America’s Baltimore headquarters, Escobar and a group of teachers are diligently trying to understand the city’s process of recognizing "model" teachers. Being given this status comes with a significant increase in salary. To be eligible for the bonus program, a teacher must have a minimum of three years of teaching experience. This requirement is a major reason why Escobar is applying. As a Teach For America alumna, she is currently in her fourth year of teaching and her participation is part of a regional pilot initiative aimed at retaining Teach For America recruits in the profession. The organization has faced criticism over the years for its high rates of turnover among corps members, who typically fulfill a two-year commitment. However, determining the exact retention rates for Teach For America has proven to be challenging, as most district retention analyses do not include teachers who move on to teach in different districts. The most reliable analysis of Teach For America retention suggests that only 15 percent of teachers remain in their original placements for more than four years. However, this data is over a decade old.
Some of the criticism towards Teach For America is justified. Until recently, the organization did not prioritize teacher retention. In its early years, Teach For America made little effort to retain teachers beyond their two-year commitment period. Furthermore, the organization’s messaging on the value of staying in teaching was not particularly strong. Even some Teach For America staff members privately admit that there was often an implicit message that alumni needed to pursue other opportunities after their teaching assignments were completed. It wasn’t until 2011 that Teach For America introduced a teaching award for alumni, recognizing that staying in the classroom can also be a form of leadership. Critics have long argued that Teach For America’s lack of emphasis on retention suggests that the program prioritizes résumé-building over actual teaching. Moreover, research has shown that teacher turnover not only negatively impacts the students of leaving teachers but also affects other students in the school.
In a video interview, CEO Elisa Villanueva Beard describes Teach For America as a "teacher-leadership-development organization." However, it seems that the push for increased teacher retention has also come from within Teach For America. Corps members in several regions have initiated their own "teach beyond two" campaigns, advocating for longer tenures in teaching. Currently, 12 of Teach For America’s regions are experimenting with strategies to extend the duration of corps members’ teaching commitments. While Teach For America founder Wendy Kopp once famously stated that the organization focused on leadership rather than teaching, CEO Elisa Villanueva Beard now asserts that Teach For America is both.
Ultimately, the teachers gathered at Teach For America’s headquarters are searching for purpose in their work. They aim to make a difference and positively impact their students, despite the challenges they face as educators in an organization that has historically lacked emphasis on teacher retention.
Determining Factors?
Undoubtedly, the issue of retaining teachers is intricate and cannot be resolved with a single strategy. Different TFA regions are experimenting with various approaches. For instance, in Charlotte, N.C., the region provides extra professional training for teachers in their third and fourth years, as well as stipends for those who wish to pursue a master’s degree.
Baltimore is also striving to personalize their additional support. This responsibility primarily lies with Amy Wilson, the director of alumni affairs for TFA’s Baltimore region. Wilson spends about half of her time visiting alumni teachers, fulfilling the roles of both a career coach and problem solver. "Having lived in Baltimore for 22 years, my goal is to encourage them to stay here," Wilson explained. "I want them to feel a sense of accomplishment in their work. Therefore, my initial line of inquiry is to determine what they enjoy about teaching. Do they appreciate the planning aspect? The execution? Do they need exposure to another school before they consider leaving teaching behind?"
What TFA’s efforts likely won’t solve is the enigma of how much of the turnover among its corps members is due to the type of schools they work in, how much is attributed to generational influences, and how much can be attributed to TFA’s organizational model itself. TFA’s highly regarded selection process aims to recruit intelligent, goal-oriented, and ambitious individuals. While these traits may give corps members an advantage in the classroom, they could also be one of the reasons why many eventually leave. "They do attract high-quality individuals, but many of them are type A, highly driven people who are always striving to reach the next level," said Joe Francaviglia, a TFA alumnus and model teacher in Baltimore who presently teaches at the city’s KIPP Ujima Village Academy. "There comes a point where teaching reaches its limit or individuals experience mental burnout. You look around and realize you’re making a positive impact on 32, maybe 90 kids, and you think, ‘Yes, I’m doing good, but I feel like I can do more.’" Escobar, too, confesses that she struggles with similar thoughts.
However, there is a persistent question that lingers at the back of her mind. It surfaces when she looks at her Spanish 2 students, a considerable number of whom entered her classroom lacking the basics because they had a long-term substitute for Spanish 1 the previous year. "If I’m not the one teaching," she ponders, "then who will take on this responsibility?"
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