Teach for America

1. Teach for America “One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.”

2. Closing the Gap in Educational achievement • Teach for America is an educational organization that recruits and trains recent college graduates and professionals to teach in underprivileged urban and rural schools across America. • The mission of TFA is to empower its corps members to make an impact on their schools and communities that might be struggling to meet state and national standards.

3. Population Served • The school districts that TFA serves are often struggling from poverty, as well as many other challenges. • TFA teachers are placed in school districts that are failing due to many factors including the lack of quality teachers and resources. • “A growing movement of leaders, now over 32,000 strong, works at every level of education, policy and other professions, to ensure that all children can receive an excellent education” ("Teach for America," 2012)

4. Futuring and Education The systematic process for thinking about and picturing possible outcomes, and planning for the future based on these possible scenarios.

5. Scenarios • Scenarios allow you to envision possibilities that you otherwise would not have considered. The strength in scenarios is the ability to compare multiple possible futures side by side. • By using scenarios, organizations can compare and contrast possibilities for what the future may hold. This will allow you to ‘assess their validity, that is, to note their problems and offering critiques”(Clardy, 2011).  

6. Scanning • Scanning is a method of Futuring that includes surveying media for changes that will likely be important in the future. • Scanning allows organizations to focus on trends over time, identifying which ones will be pertinent to the organizations functioning.

7. References Clardy, A. (2011). Six worlds of tomorrow. Manuscript submitted for publication, Psychology, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USA.

8. Technology and Economics A vision for the future of education

9. Technology • The use of online learning environments is a growing trend that is spreading into all levels of education. Learning online has become commonplace in colleges, and is spreading into K-12 schools, as well as professional training environments. • It is outlined in Missal’s “12 eLearning Predictions for 2009,” that the tipping point has passed where virtual classrooms are considered inferior to brick and mortar classrooms. “Some training will still be preferred face to face such as when team building or in-person soft skills are important, but 2009 will be the year when we realize that we should be justifying any in-person training” (Missal, 2009, p. 2).

10. Economics • These escalating costs affect affordability and can affect a student’s decision to enroll in either an on-campus program or an online program, particularly if the online program has fewer campus-related expenses for the student"(Betts, Hartman, Oxholm III). • In an economic climate where jobs are scarce, employers are demanding higher levels of education from their employees causing more and more people to look towards higher education as an option for their future.

11. Vision for the Future • Looking five years in the future, Teach for America will be an organization that is reaching thousands of children each year, and preparing professionals for a lifetime of service in education. • Highest quality training for corps members • Leverage financial support of allies • Increased expectations of teachers

12. Actionable Steps • For this future to come to fruition, TFA will need to maintain a sustainable level of growth to continue its effectiveness in America. • Increase teacher pay and support to eventually increase the attractiveness of the profession. • Extend the amount of training corps members receive.

13. References • Betts, K., Hartman, K., & Oxholm III, C. (n.d.). Re-examining & repositioning higher education: Twenty economic and demographic factors driving online and blended program enrollments. Informally published manuscript, Drexel University, Retrieved from https://post.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/courses/EDU505.911252016806/47390151.pdf  • Baum, S. (2013, April). Rethinking pell grants, in breif. Retrieved from http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/advocacy/policycenter/advocacy-rethinking-pell-grants-brief.pdf • Clardy, A. (2011). Six worlds of tomorrow. Manuscript submitted for publication, Psychology, • Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USA. • Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., and Ludgate, H. (2013). NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition, p. 11). Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium

14. References • Mietzner, D., & Guido, R. (2005). Advantages and disadvantages of scenario approaches for strategic foresight. Int, J. Technology Intelligence and Planning, 1(2), 220-239. • Missal. “12 eLearning Predictions for 2009: eLearning Technology.” Retrieved from http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2009/01/12-elearning-predications-for-2009.html • Project Tomorrow, Speak Up. Blackboard K-12. (2009).  Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update.  Retrieved from: https://post.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/courses/EDU505.911252016806/Documents/2009%20Online%20Trend%20Report.pdf • Teach for America. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.teachforamerica.org • World Future Society. (n.d.). Scanning . Retrieved from http://www.wfs.org/node/400 • Zeyu, X., Hannaway, J., & Taylor, C. (2011). Making a difference? The effects of Teach For America in high school. Journal Of Policy Analysis & Management, 30(3), 447-469. doi:10.1002/pam.20585