MISSION, Texas - Teach For America has released a list of colleges and universities contributing the greatest number of alumni to its teaching corps.
Among large schools, UT-Rio Grande Valley is part of the top ten contributing the greatest number of alumni to the TFA corps, with more than 19 graduates leading classrooms this school year.
“Establishing strong recruitment partnerships with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is crucial for TFA RGV because it allows us to access a diverse and culturally aware talent pool that intimately understands our community's needs,” said Ana González, executive director of Teach For America Rio Grande Valley.
“UTRGV provides a wealth of local expertise and academic diversity, enabling us to place dedicated educators with a wide range of skills in our classrooms. These partnerships also foster a sense of local collaboration, unity, and long-term commitment to addressing educational disparities and improving the quality of education in the Rio Grande Valley.”
UTRGV President Guy Bailey was equally pleased. He pointed out that Teach for America has a long history at UTRGV and its legacy institutions.
“We are proud to help lead the charge in preparing UTRGV students to teach in a multitude of disciplines through Teach for America,” he said. “That preparation is not just about teaching, though. It’s also about making sure that our increasing focus on multidisciplinary education graduates teachers schooled in everything from STEM to dance, from medicine to macroeconomics, and everything in between.”
This year’s corps of 2,200 diverse leaders hails from nearly 650 colleges and universities, 44% are first generation college graduates and 60% identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color.
González pointed out that TFA teachers come from all backgrounds, majors, sectors, and identities; what connects them are common mindsets, skills, and a belief that all students deserve the opportunities that a high-quality education affords.
She said Teach For America bases its recruitment efforts on research that shows a corps member who significantly expands opportunity for students often possesses the following characteristics:
The newest corps grows Teach For America’s network to 70,000 leaders. The group says they are committed to working alongside many others in rural and urban communities across the country to ensure that every child has an education that prepares them to learn, lead and thrive.
Patricia Hernandez Howard is a UTRGV Alumna and current Teach For America RGV Corps member.
“The way TFA’s alumni and recruiters referred to the memories they have about their time in the program made me fall in love with it and ultimately motivated me to apply,” Hernandez said.
“It is exactly what I was looking for: A chance to change lives, one person at a time. And now, two months into being a teacher, I can safely say that it has been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. it is as though all my experiences (both in and out of the classroom) led me to this point in time, where I now have the chance to give back to the community that surrounds me while honoring all the great teachers I have had throughout my life— some of which I now have the honor of calling friends.”
Darin Lim Yankowitz is senior vice president for recruitment at Teach For America. He said:
“We’re inspired by the leaders who are stepping up to address the challenges in our public education system. They're diverse in their backgrounds and experiences, but united in their commitment to educational equity. For over 30 years, Teach For America has been finding, developing, and supporting some of our nation's most talented early-career leaders to expand opportunities for kids in education and every other sector of society. It's exciting to welcome these new teachers from these incredible colleges and universities across the country to the Teach For America community."
Teach For America Rio Grande Valley (TFA RGV) works in partnership with local districts and charter schools to expand educational opportunities for children. Founded in the Rio Grande Valley in 1991, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding leaders who make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity. Today, TFA RGV is a force of about 275 alumni and corps members impacting more than 4,000 students in pursuit of profound systemic change. From classroom to school-systems positions, these leaders are reimagining education to realize the day when every child has an equal opportunity to learn, lead, thrive and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network.
Editor’s Note: For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org/rio-grande-valley.
