Teach for America Alums Discuss Impact of Program

Six Teach for America alumni discussed the impact of the program on the current education system and the widening achievement gap during a panel held in Quincy House last night.

The panelists—four of whom are Harvard University graduate students—spoke about the challenges in the American education system, which include teacher tenure policies and the disparity between public and charter schools.

But all agreed that Teach for America can play in role in improving some of the flaws the system.

“Getting talented, hard-working people who genuinely care and want to make a difference into a classroom where they can solve real problems” is the most direct way to address the achievement gap, said Anasstassia Baichorova, a senior recruitment director for TFA.

The panelists also answered the audience’s questions on their experiences in the TFA program.

“Students here have a great opportunity to really make some changes that they can’t make if they’re in a classroom,” said C.J. Crowder, a TFA alumnus and Quincy House resident affiliate. “That can’t happen unless they’re in a program like Teach for America.”

Several students who attended the program said the panel influenced their decision to apply for TFA.

Though she said she had not felt persuaded to apply in the past, Emily M. Orlins ’11 said the panel helped change her mind.

“I feel like I’ve been going to info sessions for TFA for the last four years, but I think this panel was the first one that said, ‘This was really worth it and this is why,’” Orlins said.

Even though Lam Pham ’11 has already applied to the program, he said hearing about the experiences of the panelists reinforced his desire to participate.

“It didn’t feel to me that anyone was trying to brainwash me into one way of thinking about social justice or education or closing the achievement gap,” Pham said.

Crowder said he hopes to host more events about TFA in the future to encourage students to apply.

“I’d like to do dinners where we could have some more folks sit down,” Crowder said. “Instead of having people talk for 30 minutes, you could just have those one-on-one conversations so people could really learn about the experience.”