Our principals will line up to
get a Teach For America teacher. They know from experience that Teach For America teachers are consistently good
instructional personnel. Teach For America participants are very student focused and are highly committed to student
success. Like all new teachers, they sometimes find the classroom a real challenge, but instead of succumbing, they rise to
the opportunity, work through their problems, and come to a solution that will benefit the student, the teacher and the
school.
- Dr. Carl Harris, incoming Superintendent of Durham Public Schools
This year, a corps of more than 160 of the nation’s most promising future leaders are teaching in our region’s lowest-income classrooms as a part of Teach For America • Eastern North Carolina. They are working to ensure their students have the educational opportunities they deserve. Our alumni are a leadership force, working from within education and every professional sector to effect broader change. Together they are helping us make educational equity a reality in Eastern North Carolina. Learn about living and teaching in Eastern North Carolina.
 |
Press | |
Corps Impact | |
Alumni Impact | |
Financial Sustainability | |
Regional Supporters | |
Contact Us | |
Executive Director |
Recent press releases
Recent press coverage
During the 2008-09 school year, 160 corps members are directly impacting the lives of 10,000 students in Eastern North Carolina. Chrissie Ridolfi is one example of the tremendous difference our corps members are making.
|
Chrissie Ridolfi (Eastern North Carolina Corps '06) |
When Chrissie Ridolfi started the year teaching eighth grade math at Conway Middle School in Northampton County, 50 percent of her students were considered on “grade level.” Many were still struggling with basic concepts like long division and multiplication. Chrissie integrated real-world examples into her instruction, provided individual tutoring, and created opportunities for collaborative group work. At the end of the year, 96 percent of her students passed North Carolina’s state exam for eighth grade math, compared to only 27 percent of eighth graders at Conway two years earlier. This year, more than 160 corps members like Chrissie are working to give students in Eastern North Carolina the chance to excel academically.
Principal Satisfaction
*"Teach For America 2007 National Principal Survey," Policy Studies Associates, July 2007.
Impact on Student Achievement
According to a highly regarded study by Mathematica Policy Research, corps members outpaced fully certified and veteran teachers in their schools in moving their students ahead academically. Read national results.
Student Profile
Eastern North Carolina: Corps Member Placement
| Assignment | # of Corps Members | % of Corps |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 29 | 20% |
| Science | 27 | 19% |
| Special Education | 11 | 8% |
| Social Studies | 14 | 10% |
| English | 25 | 18% |
| Elementary | 29 | 20% |
| Fine Arts | 3 | 2% |
| Spanish | 4 | 3% |
| Total | 142 | 100% |
*Percentages are rounded and may not add up to 100 percent.
Characteristics of the 2008 Corps
| Corps Profile | Top alma maters by market share* |
|---|---|
| Average GPA: 3.6 | Spelman College: 16% |
| Average SAT: 1320 | Morehouse College, Williams College, Yale University: 11% |
| Held leadership roles on campus: 95% | Duke University, Georgetown University, University of Chicago, Wake Forest University, Wesleyan University: 7% |
| People of color: 29% | Amherst College, Harvard University, Haverford University, Notre Dame University, Princeton University, Rice University: 9% |
*Percentage of senior classes who applied to Teach For America
Fostering Alumni Leadership for Systemic Change
As the number of corps members grows, so does our alumni base. By 2010, we will have over 800 Teach For America • Eastern North Carolina alumni pursuing professional careers and impacting educational reform from every sector.
Lela Baldwin (Eastern North Carolina Corps '97) |
Chris Elliott (Eastern North Carolina Corps '04) |
Lela Baldwin (Corps ‘97) began her career as a math teacher at Warren County Middle School. After five years in the classroom, she earned her masters in school administration as a N.C. Principal Fellow and went on to serve as an assistant principal in Orange County Schools. Last year, she became principal of Creedmoor Elementary, located less than 50 miles from the school where she began teaching as a corps member ten years earlier. At Creedmoor, she is joined by three corps member and alumni teachers, as well as assistant principal Chris Elliott (Corps ’04). Lela is one of seven Teach For America alumni serving as school leaders in our region and one of more than 360 alumni serving as school leaders or superintendents across the country.
Growing Our Impact: Funding Needs, 2007-2011
Each additional recruit is another dedicated teacher for children growing up in low-income communities in Eastern North Carolina, and another talented leader with the insight and
commitment necessary to sustain the reform efforts underway, which is critical to the ongoing vitality of our region.
| Year | Corps Size | Revenue Needs |
|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | 142 | $1.3 million |
| 2008-09 | 146* | $1.5 million* |
| 2009-10 | 160* | $1.7 million* |
| 2010-11 | 225* | $2.2 million* |
*projected |
||
We are grateful to have many supporters who generously contribute to our movement in Eastern North Carolina. 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 |
|---|
| Dave Horne (Chair) Partner; Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan Raleigh, NC |
| Cari Boyce Vice President, Corporate Communications; Progress Energy Raleigh, NC |
| Ann Bullock Associate Professor of Education; East Carolina University Greenville, NC |
| Barker French Retired Durham, NC |
| Dr. Carl Harris Superintendent; Durham Public Schools Durham, NC |
| Mort Hight Vice President and Investment Strategist; Wachovia Bank Durham, NC |
| Erin Swanson Oschwald Executive Director; Teach For America . Eastern North Carolina Durham, NC |
| Andre Peek Director, Media Industry Global Technology Services; IBM Raleigh, NC |
| David E. Reid III Regional Manager, RBC Bank |
| Arthur Rogers Principal; EnoVentures Durham, NC |
| Dr. Ray Spain Superintendent; Warren County Schools Warrenton, NC |
| Malcolm Turner Senior Vice President; OnSport Raleigh, NC |
| Corporate, Foundation and Public Support Show more + |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
We thank the following lead corporate supporters for their extraordinary support of our work:
|
$200,000 - $499,999 |
|||
| State of North Carolina | ||||
$100,000 - $199,999 |
| The Golden LEAF Foundation Progress Energy Foundation |
To support Teach For America • Eastern North Carolina with a gift or to request additional information about our impact or finances, please contact:
Teach For America • Eastern North Carolina
Erin Swanson Oschwald, Executive Director
Katherine Porter, Development Manager
324 Blackwell Street
Bay 11, Suite 1160
Durham, NC 27701
P 919-597-7200, f 919-597-7272
erin.swansonoschwald@teachforamerica.org
katherine.porter@teachforamerica.org
back to top
Erin Swanson Oschwald leads Teach For America • Eastern North Carolina and 162 corps members, who collectively reach more than 13,000 students per year. Since serving as a 2002 Eastern North Carolina corps member, where she lead her students to an increase in state end-of-course test scores from 70% to over 90% proficiency in English I, Erin continues to maximize the region’s impact on student achievement as a Teach For America staff member. Erin first joined Teach For America staff as a program director in 2005, supporting the professional growth and development of nearly 90 corps members. In 2007, Erin went on to become the region’s senior program director, where she designed and implemented strategy to ensure the region’s largest corps to date attained significant gains. That same year, she served as a school director at the Atlanta Institute, posting the highest student achievement results among all Atlanta summer school sites. Erin graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University.
History
Regions
Corps and Alumni
