I had always thought I would go to law school when I graduated from the University. Both my parents are lawyers and all my friends can testify to my love for a good debate.
However, my future plans were put on hold when I went to a Teach for America info session last spring and heard about the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself: to work for an organization leading the fight against educational inequity by placing recent college graduates as temporary teachers in underperforming schools across the United States.
I have no personal anecdote to make this story tug your heartstrings. I grew up with food on the table, a roof over my head and two loving parents. I can tell you, however, that I think all children in the United States — regardless of their race, socio-economic status and gender — should be afforded equal educational opportunities, and I am willing to devote myself mentally, physically and emotionally to help make that a reality. The fact that 16 million children in our country will grow up in poverty this year and only 8 percent of children who grow up in low-income communities will graduate from college by the age of 24 is not only depressing, but also unacceptable.
I have heard friends, professors and teammates criticize TFA because the program is only a two-year commitment and they believe the teacher attrition rate is more detrimental than beneficial.
While I understand this criticism, I also maintain that TFA corps members are not a panacea to the achievement gap. TFA places bright people, who otherwise would not have gone into the education field, into schools. This first-hand experience shows talented youth the failure of the U.S. education system, with the added benefit of exposing underachieving students to high-performing individuals willing to give them a shot. TFA is far from a perfect program, but its goal to create advocates for educational equity in a variety of career fields is not only creative, but also takes into account the bigger picture: In order to reform this system we will need more than just teachers, we will need the support of our entire population. The more people exposed to the shortcomings of U.S. education, the more minds will be turned toward closing this gap.
That is why I have applied to be a 2013 Teach for America corps member.
Phoebe Willis is a fourth-year student in the College.