In tough job market, TFA applications up
Posted September 22, 2009 at 11:58 pm in News
(Votes: 3; Avg: 1.00) 
Loading ...Application numbers to Teach For America continue to rise, though the growth may be less the result of increased interest and more the result of decreased job opportunities.
Though specific application numbers for USC were unavailable, Tracy St. Dic, recruitment director for TFA in Southern California, said the organization, which recruits recent college graduates to teach in underprivileged areas for two years, has seen an increase in applications, likely because of a combination of rising interest levels and an uncertain job market.
“Nationwide, we’ve seen a phenomenal increase in applications,” St. Dic said. “I expect to see the same trend at USC this year.”
But it might not be just a soaring interest in the TFA program that is bringing in the extra applications.
Kyle McNeal, a senior majoring in international relations, said the poor economy is one of the main reasons he chose to apply for TFA.
“The horrible job market was pretty much a key reason that I applied to TFA,” McNeal wrote in an email. “I definitely wouldn’t want to be entering the job market by traditional means right now.”
McNeal hopes to land a stable job that can help him pay off housing costs and school loans.
“I have a lot riding on my application to Teach For America,” McNeal wrote. “Teach For America seems like a great way to avoid the difficulties and unpredictability of a messy job search.”
Still, St. Dic did not think the struggling economy was the primary reason for the increase in interest. Instead, she cited USC’s location and surrounding community.
According to St. Dic, because of USC’s geographical location, students are able to witness firsthand the achievement gap between poorer schools and their more affluent counterparts. Seeing this, St. Dic said, might inspire USC students to take action.
“Specifically at USC, I’ve seen an increased interest in Teach For America’s approach to end educational inequity, coupled with the fact that more students are rising to the challenge to make an immediate, positive impact right away after college,” St. Dic wrote in an email.
While St. Dic noted the economy could be having some effect on the number of applications, she held that increased interest in the program was a more important factor.
“It could be partly the economy,” St. Dic said. “And I think it could be Teach For America is improving its impact.”
Ari Feldman, a 2007 USC graduate, just finished a two-year TFA commitment in Phoenix. He said the economy did not affect his decision when he applied three years ago.
“I’d been thinking about doing TFA since my sophomore year of college,” Feldman said. “It hadn’t even crossed my mind.”
Feldman said the economic downturn has had a temporarily positive effect on TFA. He said that because more people are applying, it makes the program “more prestigious.”
However, Feldman feels that in the long run, the poor economy could actually have a negative effect on the program because TFA relies on charity and donations.
“There’s a lot funding that’s been cut,” Feldman said. “I was in Arizona and they completely cut the state funding. My first year we got $1.5 million, the next year a half million dollars, and this year they cut it down to nothing.”
Regardless of what has caused this increase, TFA is happy to have more students show an interest in its program.
“We need that strong, fighting Trojan force out there fighting to close the achievement gap,” St. Dic said.
Related Articles:
Tags
This article is tagged: job, teach for america, tfa
Loading ...
Recent Comments