Meet Teach for America Alabama AmeriCorps Program Staff

Legal Applicant

Teach for America

AmeriCorps Program Name

Teach for America Alabama

AmeriCorps Program Staff Names and Titles

Elizabeth Kurtz, Associate, AmeriCorps and Development Operations

Counties of Service

Dallas, Hale, Jefferson, and Perry counties, Alabama

Describe your AmeriCorps program

Teach for America Alabama recruits outstanding and diverse leaders early in their careers. Teach for America leaders have demonstrated evidence of the values, leadership necessary to expand opportunity and access for all children inside and outside the classroom. We ask leaders to make a life-long commitment that begins with two years teaching in a public school, partnering with children and families most acutely impacted by educational inequity to increase student academic outcomes. In the coming year, Teach for America Alabama aims to train and support 65 AmeriCorps Members to lead approximately 7070 students to 1 year or more of grade-level growth. Our teacher development programming cultivates teachers who improve student achievement, and thus, have a direct impact on their immediate classrooms.

Number of Members Serving

71

Responsibilities of the Members

Our 71 Corps Members teach an expanse of subjects in elementary, junior high, and high schools across five counties in Alabama. As full-time teachers in under-resourced schools, members are responsible for academic growth in their classrooms which will contribute to greater economic mobility in their students’ neighborhoods. By disrupting systemic inequalities in schools, our teachers play a critical role in the future of their students' lives.

What the members and the program hope to accomplish by the end of the program year

Teach for America Alabama AmeriCorps members will teach for two years in low-income and under-resourced schools in Birmingham City, Hale County, Jefferson County, Perry County, and Selma City. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for increasing the academic achievement of the over 7070 students they teach. In addition, the AmeriCorps members will leverage 200 volunteers who are engaged in supporting students in classrooms and schools.

Thank you for your service!