I believe America must secure its future through investment in our children and in their education. In classrooms throughout New Jersey, Teach For America has made dramatic improvements in the state's most under-resourced schools, helping to ensure that our kids have access to a great public education system.
- Jon Corzine, Governor of New Jersey
This year, a corps of 70 of the nation’s most promising future leaders are teaching in our city’s lowest-income classrooms as a part of Teach For America • Newark. They are working to ensure their students have the educational opportunities they deserve. Our alumni are a leadership force, working from within education and every professional sector to effect broader change. Together they are helping us make educational equity a reality in Newark. Learn about living and teaching in Newark.
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Corps Impact | |
Alumni Impact | |
Financial Sustainability | |
Regional Supporters | |
Contact Us | |
Executive Director |
Recent press coverage
During the 2007-08 school year, over 70 corps members are directly impacting the lives of more than 6,100 students in Newark. Princess Williams is one example of the tremendous difference our corps members are making.
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Princess Williams (Newark Corps '06) |
Princess Williams grew up in Newark and decided to join Teach For America in order to give back to her own community. Many of Princess’ students at Alexander Street School entered her kindergarten classroom without knowing their letters and numbers. As a first-year corps member, Princess enlisted the help of veteran teachers in her school to identify a plan of action that included well-planned lessons and constant communication with parents to reinforce daily lessons. By the end of the year, her students were all able to read high frequency words, count to 100, and write complete sentences. Princess’ students are experiencing the power of our movement to eliminate educational inequity in Newark.
Newark : Our Impact on Students and Schools Today
| School Year | Corps Members | Students Reached |
|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | 70 | 5,950 |
| 2008-09 | 88* | 7,400* |
| 2009-10 | 115* | 9,770* |
*projected | ||
Principal Satisfaction
*"Teach For America 2007 National Principal Survey,” Policy Studies Associates, July 2007.
Impact on Student Achievement
According to a highly regarded study by Mathematica Policy Research, corps members outpaced fully certified and veteran teachers in their schools in moving their students ahead academically. Read national results.
Student Profile
Newark : Corps Member Placement
| Assignment | # of Corps Members | % of Corps |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 8 | 11% |
| Science | 14 | 19.5% |
| Social Studies | 6 | 8% |
| English | 9 | 12.5% |
| Elementary | 35 | 49% |
| Total | 72 | 100% |
*Percentages are rounded and may not add up to 100 percent.
Characteristics of the 2008 Corps
| Corps Profile | Top alma maters by market share* |
|---|---|
| Average GPA: 3.6 | Spelman College: 16% |
| Average SAT: 1320 | Morehouse College, Williams College, Yale University: 11% |
| Held leadership roles on campus: 95% | Duke University, Georgetow University, University of Chicago, Wake Forest University, Wesleyan University: 10% |
| People of color: 29% | Amherst College, Harvard University, Haverford University, Notre Dame University, Princeton University, Rice University: 9% |
*Percentage of senior classes who applied to Teach For America
Fostering Alumni Leadership for Systemic Change
As the number of corps members grows, so does our alumni base. By 2010, we will have over 320 Teach For America • Newark alumni pursuing professional careers and impacting educational reform from every sector.
Shawadeim "Sha" Reagans (Newark Corps '99) |
Shawadeim “Sha” Reagans was awarded the 2005 “American Star of Teaching Award” by the U.S. Department of Education, which honors one outstanding educator in each of the 50 states. Mr. Reagans is a founding teacher and director at TEAM Academy Charter School in Newark, one of New Jersey’s highest-performing charter schools, which is run by a staff almost entirely comprised of Teach For America corps members and alumni.
Growing Our Impact: Funding Needs, 2007-2010
Each additional recruit is another dedicated teacher for children growing up in low-income communities in Newark, and another talented leader with the insight and commitment necessary to sustain the reform efforts underway, which is critical to the ongoing vitality of our region.
| Year | Corps Size | Revenue Needs |
|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | 70 | $1.25 million |
| 2008-09 | 88* | $1.38 million* |
| 2009-10 | 115* | $1.68 million* |
*projected |
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We are grateful to have many supporters who generously contribute to our movement in Newark. The foundations, corporations and individuals listed below have made it possible for Teach For America to continue to recruit, select, train, and support teachers who are working to eliminate educational inequity in our city and across the nation.
| Advisory Board |
|---|
| Dana Zucker (board chair) Independent Consultant |
| Arlene Lieberman President The Newark Museum |
| Vincent Ricciardi President Bank of America |
| Frances Durst Vice President Wachovia Corporation |
| Dr. Roberta Frankfort Board President New Jersey SEEDS |
| Dr. Linda Rodrigues Chair, Foreign Languages The New School |
| Lawrence Goldman President and CEO New Jersey Performing Arts Center |
| Richard Pechter Teach For America Alumnus Retired Chair, Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette |
| Lawrence Sharnak Executive Vice President American Express Cards |
| Rafael Delgado Consumer & Personal Products Worldwide Johnson & Johnson |
| Dudley Ryan Senior Vice President Trammell Crow |
| Dr. Rosemary Steinbaum Director of Teacher Education Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey |
To support Teach For America • Newark with a gift or to request additional information about our impact or finances, please contact:
Teach For America • Newark
Heather Calverase, Executive Director
Jarrad Toussant, Development Director
60 Park Place
18th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
p 973-621-6644, f 973-621-7766
heather.calverase@teachforamerica.org
jarrad.toussant@teachforamerica.org
Heather Calverase joined Teach For America in 2007 after seven years as a center and area director for Kaplan Test Prep, where she witnessed the realities and future implications of the achievement gap first-hand in her work with students and staff across five states. She was recognized within Kaplan for posting rapid annual growth in the West Los Angeles market and for substantially expanding the company’s Pittsburgh market, more than tripling the company’s revenues in that region. She has also worked for the Council of State Governments as a policy coordinator in the council’s environmental and telecommunications policy research centers. During her time at the council, she earned an M.B.A from the University of Phoenix. She also holds a B.S. from Youngstown State University and an M.S. from the University of Kentucky.
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