Teach For America - Eastern North Carolina

ABOUT

Teach For America is growing the movement of leaders who work to ensure that kids growing up in poverty get an excellent education. We recruit a diverse group of leaders with a record of achievement who work to expand educational opportunity, starting by teaching for two years in a low-income community. As alumni, they create a growing movement of leaders who work at every level of education, policy, and other professions, to ensure that all children can receive an excellent education. In the Eastern North Carolina region, we have 158 corps members and more than 400 alumni forming an unparalleled leadership pipeline for change in education to improve outcomes and opportunities for all students in Durham and northeastern North Carolina.

OUR IMPACT IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Short Term: Corps Members

Our teachers have an immediate and pronounced effect on their students’ achievement. For example, 100 percent of the students who were taught by Jenna Bullock (Eastern North Carolina Corps '10) passed the state’s Biology End-of-Course exam during the 2010-11 school year, compared to a statewide pass rate of 69 percent for economically disadvantaged students. Similarly, Lindsay Rose (Eastern North Carolina Corps '10) led 98 percent of her students to pass the 5th grade Science End-of-Grade exam this year, compared to a statewide pass rate of 62 percent for economically disadvantaged students. One-third of Lindsay’s students scored in the 98th percentile, enabling them to be considered for gifted and talented classes.

Long Term: Alumni

Currently, 15 alumni lead schools as principals or assistant principals while even more are enrolled in principal preparation programs. Our alumni also work at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Jennifer Preston (Corps ‘07) is the state’s Race to the Top Policy Coordinator and is responsible for policies and programs that result in better teachers and administrators in North Carolina's schools. Other alumni contribute to our movement through roles outside of the school system. For example, Missy Sherburne (Corps ‘93) serves as the Executive Vice President for Donorschoose.org, an online charity connecting donors directly to students and classrooms in need.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: SPONSOR A TEACHER

Your support will enable us to reach more than 8,000 students throughout Durham and northeastern North Carolina every day. Teach For America sponsors have a unique opportunity to play a key role in the movement to end educational inequity by supporting the corps members on the frontlines of our work. Through the Sponsor A Teacher campaign, you can witness the direct impact of your investment through classroom visits and interactions with both corps members and alumni. A gift of $5,000 or more helps Teach For America recruit, select, train, and support an outstanding recent college graduate who will go above and beyond to expand opportunities for their students. Sponsors will be matched with a current corps member and will receive regular updates throughout the school year as well as opportunities to visit the classroom.