Francis Marion School Perry County, AL.

How many members are serving at this site? “During the 2015-2016 school year, we had three AmeriCorps members teaching at Francis Marion School. In addition, we had one alumni member who continued teaching beyond his two year commitment. For the 2016-2017 school year, we will have three Teach For America and AmeriCorps members teaching at Francis Marion School.”

What is your organizations goal at this site? “Our goal is continue to partner with Francis Marion School by providing excellent teachers to a school and rural area that often has a difficult time filling open teaching positions. Teach For America – Alabama has consistently placed teachers at Francis Marion School since the founding of our organization in 2010, and we are committed to continuing to work with Francis Marion School, Perry County, and other districts in the Black Belt. Our goal is to support our teachers working in these areas to help their students attain an excellent education.”

What is something exciting that has happened at this site? “Our teachers working at Francis Marion School are consistently pushing their students to achieve at high levels. For example, Todd Smolinsky led students in both of his Pre-Calculus classes to achieve, on average, 3 points ACT growth over the course of the school year. In addition, both our current members and Teach For America alumni helped to bring new opportunities and speakers to their classrooms. This year, in honor of AmeriCorps week, TFA staff members worked with our alumni member at Francis Marion to schedule an opportunity for Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill to speak to students about civic engagement.”