TFA and the magical thinking of the “best and the brightest”

Abstract

This article draws on oral history testimonies to examine the experiences of participants in the inaugural 1990 cohort of Teach For America (TFA)—a group of young people dubbed the “best and brightest” of their generation and tasked with “saving” urban education. For 25 years, TFA has operated according to the principle of the “best and brightest,” in which it is assumed that participants’ personal qualities and prior academic achievement can stand in for deep professional knowledge and experience. Yet as our data show, the presumptions—that any “smart” person should be able to pick up teaching by doing it, that there is no specialized knowledge needed in order to teach, and that “outsiders” with little knowledge of a school community and its families can “swoop in” and “rescue” underserved students—ultimately set up and demoralized the participants with whom we spoke when they could not live up to such unrealistic expectations. Through participants’ words and experiences, framed in historical context, we raise questions about the myth of the “best and brightest,” the theory of action promoted by TFA, and what it takes to teach in urban classrooms.

Alternative routes to teacher professional identity: Exploring the conflated sub-identities of Teach For America corps members

“…Due at least in part to the strong emphasis on recruiting campus leaders and highly accomplished students, or America's 'best and brightest' (Blumenreich & Rogers, 2016;Kavanagh & Dunn, 2013;Schneider, 2011), most CMs have experienced a considerable amount of previous success academically, socially, and in some cases, economically. Many of the CMs in the study mentioned these prior successes in contrast to how they felt as a teacher, and were stymied by the experiences of moving from their experiences of success in previous endeavors to the immense of challenges of teaching.…”

“…For years the organization has decried calls for extended practicum experiences in the field as well as longer commitments to the profession (i.e., more than two years). The organization has long articulated a two-pronged approach for the program: remain a teacher, or move on to advocate for educational equity through other work (e.g., lawyer, doctor, policymaker; Blumenreich & Rogers, 2016;Scott, Trujillo, & Rivera, 2016). As Labaree (2010) rightly assessed, for CMs this presents a no-lose situation.…”

Legitimizing the Dilettante: Teach For America and the Allure of Ed Cred

“…CMs, upon reflecting on their experiences, have described their initial motivations to join TFA as idealistic (Blumenreich & Rogers, 2016;Matsui, 2015), ambitious (Jacobsen et al, 2016;Ness, 2004), and "profound drives to effect educational change" (CrawfordGarrett, 2012, p. 27) that eventually had to be reconciled with unexpected harsh realities-both in their placement schools and in the TFA program itself. Matsui (2015) argues that popular culture is the source of this unrealistic idealism about teaching.…”

“…TFA recruits graduating college seniors-usually with majors other than education-from prestigious universities (Blumenreich & Rogers, 2016;Scott, Trujillo, & Rivera, 2016;Trujillo & Scott, 2014). The program is highly selective, and many consider acceptance to be an honor (Cann, 2013;Kretchmar, 2014;McAdam & Brandt, 2009).…”

“…Determining TFA's effectiveness depends on whether applicants consider it a teacher-preparation program, a teacher recruitment initiative, or a training ground for political leadership. CMs will likely spend only a brief time in the classroom and then pursue careers in politics, law, or public policy (Blumenreich & Rogers, 2016;Cann, 2013;Jacobsen, White, & Reckhow, 2016), so it is possible that CMs are driven by something more than or different from the hero teacher narrative-something more about convenience and credibility than competence. Because researchers such as Matsui (2015) have problematized the hero teacher narrative, it is important for educators and policymakers to know more about the motivations of TFA teachers who are placed in their schools.…”