In a state with a dire teacher shortage, Eastern North Carolina is home to some of the poorest school districts in the country. Last year, there were over 10,000 teaching vacancies in North Carolina, and local schools of education produced only around 3,000 teachers. Vance County, one of our placement sites, has a high school graduation rate of about 48 percent, one of the lowest rates in the state. All nine counties in which Teach For America places corps members experience some of the lowest test scores, and highest poverty levels, in North Carolina.
Teach For America is working to overcome these challenges by providing excellent educational opportunities to all students. According to a recent independent study, 100 percent of North Carolina principals who manage Teach For America corps members believe that these teachers make a positive difference in their school environment, and would hire Teach For America corps members again. Our corps members have developed new high school courses and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, served as department chairs, sponsored extracurricular clubs and sports, and organized international field trip opportunities for their students. They have also ensured that their students make great academic gains.
| Ethnic Breakdown-Student Population (Compiled from all school districts) |
|---|
| 68% African-American |
| 25% Caucasian |
| 7% Latino/Hispanic |
| < 1% Asian-American |
| < 1% Native American |
| < 1% Other |
| Ethnic Breakdown-Eastern North Carolina (Counties Included: Durham, Franklin, Granville, Halifax, Johnston, Nash, Northampton, Vance, and Warren) |
|---|
| 41% African-American |
| 55% Caucasian |
| 4% Latino/Hispanic |
| < 1% Asian-American |
| < 1% Native American |
| < 1% Other |
| Percentage of Students Qualifying for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch |
|---|
| 70% (in Teach For America placement schools) |
| Placements |
|---|
| 26% primary teachers |
| 74% secondary teachers |
| 97% teach at a school with another corps member or alumnus |
K-12 grade level placements:
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Our corps members
Placement regions
Corps and Alumni
