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Corps and Alumni
Atlanta
In many of my school visits, I go into classrooms where there are Teach For America teachers, and I’m always impressed with them. I think Teach For America is having an impact in more ways than we probably even realize right now.
- Dr. Beverly L. Hall, Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools
Teach For America • Atlanta is playing a critical role in improving schools and communities. This year, a corps of 210 of the nation’s top recent college graduates is working in underserved schools across Atlanta to ensure that students facing the challenges of poverty are given the educational opportunities they deserve. Our alumni are leaders in the classroom, in education more broadly, and across all sectors. Together, they are making educational equity a reality in Atlanta. Learn about living and teaching in Atlanta.
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Press | |
Corps Impact | |
Alumni Impact | |
Regional Supporters | |
Contact Us | |
Executive Director |
Press
Following is recent press coverage about Teach For America • Atlanta. Click on a headline to view the full story.
Recent press releases
Recent press coverage
Corps Impact
During the 2009-10 school year, 210 corps members are directly impacting the lives of approximately 13,000 students in Atlanta. Jabari Peddie is one example of the tremendous difference our corps members are making.
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Ryan Shepard (Atlanta Corps ’08) |
Class Results: ”As a first year teacher, I exceeded my goal with 90% of my students passing all CRCT subject tests, including 100% passing English-Language Arts, 95% passing reading, and 90% passing math. In addition to teaching, I run an international community service non-profit that I co-founded while a student at Morehouse College.”
Principal Satisfaction
- 82 percent of recently-surveyed principals (in schools with Teach For America corps members) reported that they would hire another Teach For America teacher.*
- 91 percent of principals surveyed regard Teach For America teachers as effective as, if not more effective than, other beginning teachers in terms of overall performance and impact on student achievement.*
*"Teach For America 2009 National Principal Survey,” Policy Studies Associates, July 2009
Impact on Student Achievement
A growing body of research shows that corps members have a positive impact on their students' achievement. Read more about our impact.
Student Profile
- Students served who are eligible for free/reduced lunch: 82%
- Students served who are African-American and/or Latino: 92%
Atlanta: Corps Member Placement
| Assignment | % of Corps* |
|---|---|
| Pre-K, Kindergarten | 7% |
| Elementary School, Lower (1-2) | 16% |
| Elementary School, Upper (3-5) | 21% |
| Secondary Math | 10% |
| Secondary English | 8% |
| Secondary Science | 11% |
| Secondary Social Studies | 4% |
| Secondary Other | 7% |
| Middle School | 16% |
| Special Education | 23% |
*Percentages are rounded and do not add up to 100 percent; corps members who teach bilingual, ESL, or special education are also accounted for in the grade-level/subject placement percentages
Characteristics of the 2009 Corps
| Corps Profile |
|---|
| Average GPA: 3.6 |
| Average SAT: 1344 |
| Held leadership roles on campus: 89% |
| People of color: 30% |
*Percentage of senior classes who applied to Teach For America
Alumni Impact
As the number of corps members grows, so does our alumni base. By 2010, we will have over 700 Teach For America • Atlanta alumni pursuing professional careers and impacting educational reform from every sector.
- Nationally, more than 60 percent of corps members continue to work in education,
including more than 360 who are school leaders. - 93 percent of all alumni report they are supporting Teach For America’s mission
through their career, volunteer activity or graduate study.
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David Jernigan (Atlanta Corps '00) |
After David Jernigan’s two-year commitment in Atlanta, he founded KIPP WAYS Academy in 2003. Since its inception, KIPP WAYS Academy has consistently been one of Atlanta’s highest-performing middle schools, and in 2008, Georgia Public Policy Foundation recognized it as the state’s number one “No Excuses School.” Recently named Executive Director for KIPP Metro Atlanta, David will oversee the growth of several new KIPP schools. David is one example of the more than 360 alumni working as school leaders and superintendents nationwide. They demonstrate how two successful years in the classroom inspire alumni to choose lifelong careers dedicated to closing the achievement gap.
Atlanta Supporters
We are grateful to have many supporters who generously contribute to our movement in Atlanta. The foundations, corporations and individuals listed below have made it possible for Teach For America to continue to recruit, select, train, and support teachers who are working to eliminate educational inequity in our city.
| Advisory Board |
|---|
| Jerome Byers (Chair) Atlanta Regional President Wells Fargo |
| Katy Pattillo (Vice-Chair) Chair Atlanta Board of Education |
| Mary Claire Allvine Principal Brownson, Rehmus, Foxworth, Inc. |
| Kathy Augustine Deputy Superintendent Atlanta Public Schools |
| Andrew Broy Associate Superintendent Georgia Department of Education |
| Ralph Cleveland Senior Vice President AGL Resources |
| Ed Michaels Retired Director McKinsey & Company, Inc. |
| Joanie Michaels Community Volunteer |
| Cecil Phillips President and CEO Place Properties |
| Hunter Pierson Associate Goldman Sachs |
| Corporation, Foundation and Public Support Show more + |
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We thank the following lead corporate supporters for their extraordinary support of our work:
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$250,000 and above |
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| Atlanta Public Schools The Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation |
The Zeist Foundation | ||
$100,000 - $249,999 |
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| Anonymous Foundation Fulton County Schools James M. Cox Foundation |
The Rockdale Foundation, Inc. Wachovia Corporation |
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Contact
To learn more about staff opportunities at Teach For America • Atlanta, please contact:
Tracy S. Dunbar
Director, Strategy, Talent & Operations
10 Peachtree Place – 7th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
tracy.dunbar@teachforamerica.org
To support Teach For America • Atlanta with a financial gift or donation, please contact:
Shyam Kumar
Managing Director, Development
10 Peachtree Place – 7th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
shyam.kumar@teachforamerica.org
To learn more about corps member placement and certification, please contact:
Ruben Morris
Director, District Strategy
10 Peachtree Place – 7th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
ruben.morris@teachforamerica.org
To learn more about alumni affairs and school leadership, please contact:
Heather Webb
Director, Alumni Affairs
10 Peachtree Place – 7th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
heather.webb@teachforamerica.org
To request general information about Teach For America • Atlanta, please call 404.688.9843.
Executive Director
Kwame Griffith was a 2002 corps member in Houston, where he led his fourth and fifth grade students to progress 1.5 grade levels in a single year. After completing his two-year corps commitment, he served as a Teach For America recruitment director, focusing on a portfolio of schools on the East Coast, including his alma mater, Cornell. In this role, Griffith secured a 34 percent increase in matriculated corps members in 2005 and a 40 percent increase in total applications in 2006. He went on to assume the role of director of diversity outreach, working in conjunction with the Recruitment team to achieve a 26.1 percent increase in accepted African-American seniors and a 6.6 percent increase in acceptance rates for Latino/Hispanic seniors. Additionally, Griffith planned and executed the organization's first diversity hosting weekend, drove the creation of a diversity recruitment team, and developed partnerships with several large national organizations that work primarily with people of color. Most recently, Griffith served as a school director at Teach For America's summer institute in Atlanta.
