The dynamic young college graduates who make up the Teach For America • Denver corps have promised to do whatever it takes so that every child in our city gets an excellent education. They bring vitality, passion, and high expectations into our classrooms to help all of our children succeed. The insight and conviction these corps members will gain from teaching will help change the national educational landscape now and in the future. I’m so glad these talented leaders will now call Denver their home and work to build a brighter future for our children - and our city’s future - each day.
- Linda Childears, President and CEO, Daniels Fund
Teach For America • Denver is playing a critical role in improving schools and communities. This year, a corps of 120 of the nation’s top recent college graduates is working in underserved schools across Denver to ensure that students facing the challenges of poverty are given the educational opportunities they deserve. Our alumni are leaders in the classroom, in education more broadly, and across all sectors. Together, they are making educational equity a reality in Denver. Learn about living and teaching in Denver.
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Executive Director |
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During the 2008-09 school year, 120 corps members are directly impacting the lives of nearly 8,000 students in Denver. Cecilia Shanahan is one example of the tremendous difference our corps members are making.
Cecilia Shanahan (Denver Corps '07) |
Cecilia Shanahan’s fourth grade students started their school year three grade levels behind in reading, rendering them functionally illiterate. They were barely able to comprehend books like “The Little Engine That Could.” Undeterred, Cecilia knew that her students had the potential to excel academically. She set high expectations and provided extra support by offering tutoring sessions before and after school, as well during lunch periods. Her leadership in the classroom, focus on data-driven and needs-based teaching, and her belief in her students’ capabilities propelled them to grow, on average, more than two grade levels in reading. By the end of the school year Cecilia’s students were devouring books like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” reaping the benefits of their hard work and academic success.
Principal Satisfaction
*"Teach For America 2007 National Principal Survey,” Policy Studies Associates, July 2007.
Impact on Student Achievement
A growing body of research shows that corps members have a positive impact on their students' achievement. Read more about our impact.
Student Profile*
*From Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Department of Education and including only the schools where corps members have been placed
Denver: Corps Member Placement
| Assignment | % of Corps* |
|---|---|
| Pre-K, Kindergarten | 14% |
| Elementary School, Lower (1-2) | 19% |
| Elementary School, Upper (3-5) | 28% |
| Secondary Math | 9% |
| Secondary English | 13% |
| Secondary Science | 13% |
| Secondary Other | 4% |
| Bilingual | 8% |
| ESL | 22% |
| Special Education | 3% |
*Percentages are rounded and do not add up to 100 percent; corps members who teach bilingual, ESL, or special education are also accounted for in the grade-level/subject placement percentages
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, Georgetown 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 225 Teach For America • Denver alumni pursuing professional careers and impacting educational reform from every sector.
Michael Johnston (Mississippi Delta Corps '97) |
Colorado native Michael Johnston taught high school English in the rural Mississippi Delta. His experiences with his students there inspired him to write In the Deep Heart’s Core, which has been described by Robert Coles as “a compelling and important moral witness to education efforts today.” Continuing his career goal of educational reform, Michael earned a master’s degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, co-founded the educational nonprofit New Leaders for New Schools, and received a law degree from Yale University. Michael is now applying his skills and knowledge locally as the principal of Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts, where he is also contributing to the revolutionary changes occurring in the Mapleton School District.
Growing Our Impact: Funding Needs, 2007-2010
Each additional recruit is another dedicated teacher for children growing up in low-income communities in Denver, 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 | 56 | $1.5 million* |
| 2008-09 | 110* | $2.1 million* |
| 2009-10 | 135* | $2.6 million* |
*projected |
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We are grateful to have many supporters who generously contribute to our movement in Denver. 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.
| Corporation, Foundation and Public Support Show more + |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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We thank the following lead corporate supporters for their extraordinary support of our work:
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$200,000 - $499,999 |
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| Daniels Fund | ||||
$100,000 - $199,999 |
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| JFM Foundation | ||||
To support Teach For America • Denver with a gift or to request additional information about our impact or finances, please contact:
Teach For America • Denver
Sean VanBerschot, Executive Director
Kirsten Duell Russell, Office Manager
1391 Speer Boulevard
Suite 220
Denver, CO 80204
p 303-893-4483, f 303-893-0414
sean.vanberschot@teachforamerica.org
kirsten.duell@teachforamerica.org
Sean VanBerschot joined Teach For America’s staff in 2004 as executive director in New Mexico. During his three years there, he increased the regional funding base by 200 percent, increased the corps size by 31 percent, and led the corps to reach its benchmarks for student achievement. VanBerschot was a member of the charter Teach For America corps in New Mexico, teaching third and fifth grades in Smith Lake. After completing his corps commitment, he taught sixth grade social studies in Rio Rancho, where he not only led his students to achieve dramatic academic gains, but also was the school’s basketball coach and newsletter editor, served on the superintendent advisory committee, and was active as a community organizer. Prior to joining the corps, VanBerschot received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Illinois. He went on to earn a master of arts in teaching from Western New Mexico University.
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