I grew up in New Orleans, went to a private school and have since been acutely aware of how, in almost every American city, there is a two-tiered education system: one for the poor and one for the well-off. That’s why I joined the board of Teach For America.
In addition to creating a corps of young teachers, Teach For America has become, in its 17 years, a wellspring of leadership talent. Its alumni go on to become education entrepreneurs, administrators, and activists.
- Walter Isaacson
President & CEO, The Aspen Institute
Chair, Teach For America National Board of Directors
Teach For America • Greater New Orleans is playing a critical role in improving schools and communities. This year, a corps of nearly 360 of the nation’s top recent college graduates is working in underserved schools across Greater New Orleans 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 Greater New Orleans. Learn about living and teaching in Greater New Orleans.
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Executive Director |
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In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, an opportunity arose to create a new education system in New Orleans. Building on 17 years of experience in this region, we launched a three-year campaign to triple the size of our corps by 2010. This year, nearly 360 corps members are reaching more than 20,000 students in Greater New Orleans.
Kwame Floyd (Greater New Orleans Corps '07) |
The students at Langston Hughes Academy entered fifth grade on an even playing field with their wealthier peers this year. This is due to the hard work of their fourth grade teacher Kwame Floyd, a graduate of Pennsylvania State University. When Kwame first met his students last year, they were performing two years below grade level. Undeterred by this challenge, Kwame targeted his students’ various learning styles with engaging lessons and rigorous assessments. Because of Kwame’s efforts, his students made two years of growth or more. Kwame is one example of the tremendous impact corps members had on student achievement in New Orleans last year and with a corps that more than doubled size, it is exciting to consider what the scope of our impact will be this year.
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
*Percentages vary depending on school district
Greater New Orleans: Corps Member Placement
| Assignment | % of Corps* |
|---|---|
| Pre-K, Kindergarten | 3% |
| Elementary School, Lower (1-2) | 12% |
| Elementary School, Upper (3-5) | 15% |
| Secondary Math | 14% |
| Secondary English | 23% |
| Secondary Science | 20% |
| Secondary Social Studies | 8% |
| Secondary Other | 4% |
| Special Education | 15% |
*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 more than 1250 Teach For America • Greater New Orleans alumni pursuing professional careers and impacting educational reform from every sector.
Mary Chastain (Greater New Orleans Corps '03) |
Sarada Peri (Greater New Orleans Corps '01) |
Sarada Peri and Mary Chastain are two alumni impacting our region’s educational landscape. After her two-year commitment, Sarada earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard. She is now Senator Mary Landrieu’s education policy advisor. Mary, who worked as a recruitment director at Teach For America after her corps experience, chose to return to teaching after Hurricane Katrina because she wanted “to be a part of the rebirth of our education system at the ground level.” As assistant principal at Langston Hughes Academy, she is one of 20 alumni who will serve as school leaders in Greater New Orleans by 2009.
Growing Our Impact: Funding Needs, 2007-2010
Each additional recruit is another dedicated teacher for children growing up in low-income communities in Greater New Orleans, 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 | 126 | $5.5 million* |
| 2008-09 | 350 | $7.8 million* |
| 2009-10 | 500 | $9 million* |
* projected |
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We are grateful to have many supporters who generously contribute to our movement in Greater New Orleans. 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.
| Advisory Board |
|---|
| Joseph Aluise (Chair) Senior Counsel Entergy Corporation |
| Wendy McCarthy Beron Partner The Apollo Group |
| Emanuel Blessey Retired Vice-President Merrill Lynch |
| William Hines Managing Partner Jones, Walker |
| Diana Lewis Civic Leader |
| Mary Kay Parker The Booth-Bricker Fund |
| R. Hunter Pierson, Jr. Pierson Investments |
| Dr. Anthony Recasner Director Green Charter School |
| Robert Reily President The Reily Foundation |
| Jane Sizeler Civic Leader |
| William Sizeler Founder and Principal Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects |
| Sarah Usdin President & Founder New Schools for New Orleans |
| David Voelker Frantzen, Voelker & Conway Investments |
| Andrew B. Wisdom Turbo Squid, Inc. |
To support Teach For America • Greater New Orleans with a gift or to request additional information about our impact or finances, please contact:
Teach For America • Greater New Orleans
Kira Orange Jones, Executive Director
Thomas Hayes, Managing Director of Development
1055 St. Charles Avenue
Suite 600
New Orleans, LA 70130
p 504-648-6900, f 504-648-6991
kira.jones@teachforamerica.org
thomas.hayes@teachforamerica.org
Kira Orange Jones was appointed executive director of Teach For America • Greater New Orleans from her post as Teach For America’s vice president of new site development. In this role, she spearheaded the organization’s expansion to three additional regions in one year. Prior to working at Teach For America, Jones founded and served as executive director of Right Quick Productions, a nonprofit media organization in Baton Rouge, La., dedicated to amplifying community voices through documentary filmmaking and media education. In this capacity, she oversaw the development, production, and distribution of three feature films intended for classroom and general audiences. Jones also served for four summers as a school director at Teach For America’s Houston and Philadelphia institutes. She holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University with a concentration in filmmaking and political theory and an M.Ed. focused in school leadership from Harvard University. Jones was a 2000 South Louisiana corps member and taught fourth grade at Eden Park Elementary in Baton Rouge.
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