Program Spotlight: Teach For America-Alabama
Host Organization: Teach For America
AmeriCorps Program Name: Teach For America-Alabama
Number of Members Serving: 46 AmeriCorps Members (full-time)
Counties of Service: Jefferson, Madison, Dallas, Hale, Perry Counties
Program Staff: Khadijah Abdullah, Executive Director; Ansley Hagler, Development Director; Amber Haywood, Development Manager; and Karen Johnson, Development Manager
AmeriCorps Program: Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a diverse network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. We understand that too often, children growing up in poverty are denied the same educational opportunities as their more affluent peers, translating to tangible disadvantages for students. At Teach For America, we work to combat educational inequity by focusing on our program continuum: recruiting talented and diverse individuals to lead in classrooms across Alabama; training, developing, and continuously supporting our teachers as leaders inside and outside of their classrooms; and supporting and developing our alumni to lead in a variety of ways that continue to positively impact public education.
Goals and Objectives of the Program: In the short term, our goal is to provide excellent teachers to the schools that need them the most. Our teachers focus on improving student achievement, creating diverse learning experiences, and developing their leadership abilities to help narrow the gap in the educational opportunities available for their students. In the long term, our goal is to create a leadership pipeline, supporting our alumni in collaborating with community stakeholders to help close the gap in educational opportunities. We currently have more than 200 AmeriCorps alumni living in Alabama, 71 of whom are still directly teaching in classrooms and almost 20 other alumni working in education outside of the classroom.
Responsibilities of the AmeriCorps Members: Teach For America AmeriCorps members commit two years to serve as full-time teachers in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to expand opportunity for children. Corps members are placed in pre-K through high school teaching positions. As a Teach For America AmeriCorps member, members’ responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
Plan, organize, and implement an appropriate instructional program that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential.
Assume a tremendous leadership role and overcome immense challenges to make an immediate impact on the lives of low-income children.
Participate in the required professional development and licensure coursework outlined by your region.
Gain the insight, credibility, and network to effect meaningful long-term change.
Acquire concrete skills that will position you for success regardless of the profession you ultimately pursue.
