Corps Year: 2003 |
What are some of the biggest changes you see happening now in the Delta related to Teach For America’s mission?
Teach For America corps members in the Delta have really been game-changers in a lot of ways in terms of what the community has come to expect from its schools. From the local KIPP public charter school to the individual classrooms throughout the county, I can see the ripple effect of increased expectations and achievement that Teach For America corps members have helped put into motion. While the public schools and community in general still have a long way to go, seeing the impact that just a handful of dedicated people can have gives me reason to believe that there is a future for the Delta – a future that depends upon the next generation of leaders stepping forward and answering the call.
Why did you choose to stay in the Delta after your two-year commitment?
While I never expected to stay in the Delta beyond my two-year commitment, I now find myself starting my fifth year here and my second year working as a community development officer for a local nonprofit. Simply put, I couldn't think of anywhere else in the country that I could have a greater impact right now – where I could work directly with two other Teach For America alumni and local community members to start a Boys & Girls Club; where I could work to secure funds for teacher training and help shape a master plan for downtown redevelopment; where my wife and I could so quickly become valued members of a community and help play key roles in its future.
What do you personally think it's going to take to make a lasting impact in the Delta?
After years of losing much of its population to out-migration, the Delta simply needs a critical mass of people committed to rebuilding our communities. It's amazing to see what a handful of Teach For America alumni in the small town where I live have helped do so far – from forming the nucleus of a revolutionary public charter school to helping create a top-quality Boys & Girls Club. It's hard to imagine what even five or ten more alumni committing themselves to our town of 15,000 people could do to turn the tide even further. Being outside of the classroom in a community development role has also reinforced for me the vital importance that education has for every single indicator of healthy communities – from economic indicators, to crime rates, to public health and infrastructure. I can't think of anything more valuable to a community than having a core of leaders with intimate knowledge of what quality education looks like.
What areas of the Delta are ripe for change, and what's it going to take to make that change happen?
What will really revolutionize the Delta is having a greater number of individuals choosing to commit themselves to the communities that need them the most. Moving beyond the classroom to involvement with local government, school boards, nonprofits, and neighborhood organizations is a vital next step that more and more Teach For America alumni are taking – and need to take – in order to truly spur systemic changes in their communities. Just as the education system affects all other facets of a community's health, the local economy, health system, and support services also have a direct impact on each child's ability to truly attain an excellent education. Teach For America alumni, whether they are inside the classroom or outside, are uniquely positioned to understand this relationship and to play a lead role in shaping the future of Delta communities.
What were your career plans before joining Teach For America • Delta? How did your experience change or strengthen those plans?
While I left college interested in both education and community development, I never envisioned that my Teach For America experience would put me where I am today. From the local boards I serve on to my job in community development, nearly everything I do is shaped in some way by my three years in the classroom. It's now impossible for me to envision any career in which education does not play a key role in some way – indeed, it's difficult to think of any major problem afflicting communities for which higher quality education is not a primary solution.
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