Emory University is ranked No. 10 among the top 20 medium-sized educational facilities contributing to Teach for America‘s (TFA) teaching corps, according to a Sept. 18 Emory press release.
The list, which TFA has released for the last seven years, ranks the top contributing colleges and universities. Emory has been in the top 20 all seven years.
In 2014, approximately 22 Emory alumni joined Teach for America. These alumni will join 5,300 incoming corps members from over 850 colleges and universities from 49 states.
Teach for America corps members are sent to teach in areas of the United States that are typically identified as low-income, inner-city areas, according to Eddie Shin (’14C), an Emory graduate who joined TFA and teaches seventh grade English in Dallas, Texas.
Participants must meet teaching certification requirements, which are determined on a state by state basis, prior to being hired by a school. Additionally, some Corps members work toward completing a master’s degree by the end of their two years of teaching.
All teachers receive a salary for the two years based on the school district that hires them.
According to Shin, TFA is one of the hardest things he has ever done, despite having interned at law firms. Shin added that TFA is extremely rewarding because it enables him to work with adults as well as children.
According to Shin, the interview process is quite extensive, with multiple phone and in-person interviews that span multiple days to weeks.
College junior Hal Zeitlin applied to TFA this year and said the process has been helpful along the way.
Although Zeitlin has not yet committed to the organization, he said that he thinks it is a valuable program.
Many criticisms about TFA students’ lack of experience in the teaching sector have surfaced this year.
In response to said criticisms, Zeitlin said that in some cases, even when you give something everything you can, it may not be enough.
Zeitlin added that he thought TFA allows one to test oneself to see how much one can give.
Zeitlin said that he is primarily interested in the integration of mindfulness practice and meditation in a classroom setting.
– By Naomi Maisel, Staff Writer
Correction 9/29 11:44 p.m.: The article was updated to correct the statement that “In their first year of teaching, participants take classes and receive a Masters degree in teaching in addition to taking a teaching certification exam specific to the state where they are teaching.” Some Corps members work towards a master’s degree, and nearly all must meet teaching certification requirements, which vary from state to state, before being hired by a school.
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