Amidst the struggling economy, 2009 applications for Teach for America are up 42 percent (35,000 additional applicants). At the same time that those program application rates were soaring, the number of currently-employed teachers facing the possibility of layoffs come fall was also growing.

Those potential job losses have led at least one teacher’s union to publicly say, “thanks, but no thanks,” to Teach for America recruits.

Community Service at Full Pay

For those unfamiliar with the program, Teach for America seeks to solicit college graduates aspiring to other careers for a two-year service commitment to the teaching ranks. Those selected to the 20-year-old program historically have been given assignments in inner-city schools or underprivileged, rural areas of the country.

The fundamental premise of the program is to place high-performing college graduates into teaching locations where qualified applicants simply are not available. While these would-be instructors must commit to only two years of teaching, a second goal of the program is the hope that these individuals may ultimately make the profession a career.

With the limited job market, this year many additional graduates have put aside their career aspirations to consider this two-year commitment to teaching.

While the program is touted as community service, Teach for America differs greatly from other Americorps service options. The fundamental difference is that volunteers in the Teach for America program receive the same pay and benefits as any other starting teacher. In Boston, that salary is about $46,000.

On top of that, Teach for America program members receive the other perks that accompany service-oriented options – the traditional benefits of loan forbearance (the postponement of loan payments) and an education award of $4,725 at the end of each year of service. Over two years of service, that comes to a potential of $9,450 that may be used for future educational expenses or towards the repayment of qualified student loans.

Teacher’s Union Furious

In Boston, 20 new Teach for America program applicants have been hired. At the same time, the city, in the midst of enormous budget struggles, has laid off a significant number of teachers.

The sum total of these events has the local teacher’s union up in arms. The fact that these 20 individuals are being guaranteed jobs for two years without having undergone full certification requirements has resulted in union personnel offering some extremely strong remarks.

“We are not disturbed but furious that the department would lay off teachers with excellent credentials and bring in people with no experience and little training,” stated Richard Stutman, the president of the Boston teacher’s union. “They are sending a very bad message to teaching staff.”

William Horwath, acting assistant superintendent for human resources in the Boston public schools, insists that the Teach for America recruits will be assigned jobs that laid-off teachers are not certified to fill: math, science, special education and English as a Second Language.

However, the union insisted that was not true, that some of the 20 assignees were going to receive assignments in the popular areas of English, elementary education, and history.

Teach for a While

Because the Teach for America program consists of only a two-year commitment, the program has derisively been dubbed by some as “Teach for a While.” Those using that expression often insist that the recruits are using the program to simply pad their resumes.

In Boston, the focus has remained on the job loss of credentialed teachers. But in Detroit, where some groups are working towards reviving Teach for America in the city, Keith Johnson, the union’s president went off on the teach for a while notion.

“We don’t need educational mercenaries. We don’t feel people can ride in on their white horses and for two years share the virtue of their knowledge as a pit stop on their way to becoming corporate executives. Some don’t last their first year.”

Contrasting View

Most of the students entering the program have to be taken aback by such a viewpoint. Certainly, most who make the decision to apply are inspired by the chance to make a difference in the lives of public school children.

As for the program’s effectiveness, one Urban study examining North Carolina high schools between 2000 and 2007 was highly supportive of Teach for America. The study found that the program recruits were more effective than teachers from traditional teacher training schools in boosting student achievement.

The report attributes some of that success to the academic credentials the recruits bring with them to the classroom. That strong academic background appears to more than offset the brief five-week teacher training program Teach for America recruits go through in preparation for their assignment.

Challenging Assignments

Teach for America recruits typically receive very challenging teaching assignments. The norm is often a classroom with limited supplies and a student population that sees school as a problem rather than a solution.

It is an environment that has been known to bring even the most inspired candidate to his or her knees, multiple times, over the course of the two-year assignment. That difficult assignment seemingly would be borderline impossible if the other adults in the building are voicing open opposition to the recruits very presence.

However, for now, neither the union nor Teach for America appear ready to change course.