ELECTION.
>> THANKS VERY MUCH.
THE TIMING COULD BE INTERESTING.
http://upload.youtube.com/clos_7
>> COULD BE.
RECRUITING COLLEGE GRADUATES IN
TO THE PROGRAM TEACH FOR AMERICA
ISN'T AS EASY AS IT USED TO BE.
THE TEACHER LICENSING PROGRAM
STARTED IN 1990 WITH A CORE OF
500 COLLEGE GARAGE WHEREATS.
SINCE THEN THAT CORE HAS SENT
MORE THAN 33,000 PARTICIPANTS IN
CLASSROOMS AN LOWER INCOME
COMMUNITIES.
BUT THE ORGANIZATIONS SAYS THIS
YEAR IT'S HAVING A HARD TIME
RECRUITING ENOUGH NEW TEACHERS
TO MEET THE NEED.
THE CHAPEL HILL GRADUATE
RECENTLY FINISHED THE TEACH FOR
AMERICA FELLOWSHIP.
HE'S NOW ONE ONE OF 950 WORKING
IN CHICAGO'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THE FULL
FLEDGEED TEACHER AT THIS CHARTER
SCHOOL BUTLER COLLEGE PREP.
FOR YEARS TEACH FOR AMERICA HAS
BAN TOP CHOICE FOR TOP GRADS.
>> I DO CONSIDER MYSELF A
SUCCESS STORY BECAUSE I HAD
STRONG TEACHERS AND IT'S VERY
THOUGHT PROVOKING JUST TO THINK
IF I HAD NOT HAD THOSE TEACHERS
WHERE MY LIFE WOULD HAVE ENDED
UP.
I WANT TO BE A CATALYSTS FOR
MAKING SURE THAT ALL LEADERS NO
MATTER WHERE THEY ARE FROM OR NO
MATTER WHAT THE ECONOMIC
BACKGROUND IS ANY SITUATION THAT
THAT THEY COME FROM.
THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
OBTAIN A QUALITY EDUCATION AS
WELL.
THE PROGRAM IS NOTICING A
TROUBLING TREND.
NOT ENOUGH RECRUITS LIKE SAVAGE.
WE ARE FACING GREATER THAN
NORMAL CHALLENGES ON THE
RECRUITMENT RUN AND HERE' WHAT
WE ARE SEEING.
>> AS OF DECEMBER, WE HAVE
20,000 APPLICATIONS FOR THE
http://upload.youtube.com/clos_7
INCOMING CORE.
THAT'S BEHIND PACE FROM LAST
YEAR.
AND IF THIS PACE CONTINUES, WE
WOULD FALL ABOUT 25% OF SHORT OF
WHAT OUR PARTNERS AROUND THE
COUNTRY HAVE SAID THEY NEED FROM
US.
>> TEACH FOR AMERICA CHICAGO
DIRECTOR JOSH ANDERSON SAID A
NUMBER OF FACTORS ARE
CONTRIBUTING TO A TOUGHER
RECRUITING ENVIRONMENT WHERE IT
FINDS MANY OF THE ITS
APPLICANTS.
AMONG THOSE FACTORS THE CONCERN
THAT TEACHING IS SAN UNDER PAID
PROFESSION.
>> IN THIS MOMENT WE ARE SEEING
GREATER COMPETITION FOR FOLKS
OUT THERE.
SO THE PEOPLE HAVE MANY MORE
COMPETING OFFERS THAT THEY ARE
CONSIDERING, VERY ATTRACTIVE
OFFERS THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING
THAN THEY WAR COUPLE YEARS AGO.
>> HE'S CONCERNED THAT A SMALLER
POOL OF CANDIDATES WOULD MEAN A
WEAKER POLL OF POTENTIAL
TEACHERS.
>> WE INCREASED THE ODD.
THE PROBLEM ISN'T JUST ITS OWN.
IT POINTS TO A NATIONAL DECLINE
AND AN INTEREST IN BECOMING
TEACHER.
SOME SOFT THAT IS BROUGHT ON BY
THE LANDSCAPE OF MODERN DAY
TEACHING.
>> ROBERT LEE RUNS THE CHICAGO
TEACHER EDUCATION PIPELINE FOR
THE STATE UNIVERSITY WHICH
PRODUCES MOST OF IL ELLE'S
TEACHING GRADUATES.
EVEN HE HAS NOTICEED THAT
TEACHER PREP ENROLLMENT IS DOWN
SLIGHTLY.
>> I USE HAVE SA RELIABLE
PROFESSION.
ONE THAT WAS FILLED WITH JOY AND
THERE WAS A LOT OF JOY AND THE
http://upload.youtube.com/clos_7
TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS.
AND THAT THAT SOMEHOW HAS BEEN
BEEN STRIPPED AWAY AS WELL.
THERE'S A LOT OF TESTING GOING
ON NOW AND HIGH STAKES
STANDARDIZED ACHIEVEMENTS THAT
TRY TO PUT TEACHER PERFORMANCE
IF YOU WILL WAYS BASED ON THAT
ONE EXAM.
I THINK THAT'S DANGEROUS AS
WELL.
I THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM TO
RECRUIT OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST
PEOPLE.
>> AND THE CRITICS AS ANY
ORGANIZATION HAVE BROUGHT THIS
PROBLEM ON ITSELF.
THE DIRECT ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS IN
CHICAGO.
>> THE LARGER MESSAGE IS TO ONLY
NEED FIVE WEEKS TO BECOME A
TEACHER.
IT MEANS -- IT REDUCES AND OVER
SIMPLIFYS WHAT IT IS THAT
TEACHERS OUGHT TO BE DOING AND
WHAT THEY DO.
AND SO, IN THAT WAY I THINK
AGAIN THERE'S CONTRIBUTED TO
MAKING IT LESS THAN WHAT IT
ACTUALLY IS.
>>> THEY ARGUE THAT SENDING SO
MANY UNTESTED AND BRIEFLY
TRAINED TEACHERS IN TO THE
CLASSROOM TO SERVE MOSTLY LOW
INCOME STUDENTS IS MORE THAN
JUST UNETHICAL.
>> GOOD JOB.
>> I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR OR
ETHICAL OR PROFESSIONAL TO
PRACTICE.
IT JUST ISN'T.
THERE'S A REASON WHY WE HAVE
PRACTICE IN SCHOOLS BECAUSE IT
TAKES TIME.
THEIR TEACHERS ARE MAKING A
DIFFERENCE AND NOT ONLY PREPARED
AFTER INITIAL TRAINING AND THEY
CONTINUE TO RECEIVE MENTORING AN
COACHING THROUGHOUT THEIR
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FELLOWSHIP.
I THINK THAT IS
NUMBER ONE.
>> AND FOR THE TEACHER, THAT
IMPACT IS THE BOND HE SHARES
WITH HIS STUDENTS.
>> FOR SHEU CHICAGO TONIGHT.
>> .
>> TEACHER AMERICA SAYS THAT
EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBER OF
APPLICATIONS IT'S RECEIVED AT
THIS POINT IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN
WHAT THEY RECEIVED AT THIS TIME
LAST YEAR.