ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - For nearly 20 years, the New York-based nonprofit Teach For America (TFA) has placed new college graduates with teaching degrees in St. Louis, but now they won’t be sending anyone to the city.
Student achievement rates in the City of St. Louis have been disappointing, according to a letter from Interim Executive Director of the company's St. Louis chapter, Elizabeth Bleier, so they will no longer place new teachers here. The plan, Bleier says, is to deepen its investment in its alumni here with a 10-year goal of doubling the number of St. Louis students achieving "academic college readiness metrics."
There are about 600 St. Louis TFA alumni and half are still working in education, including 22 principals. This past year, they had about 50 teachers in their first or second year working in St. Louis, but believes more experienced educational leaders are needed to meet their goal.
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"We very much see this as a smart pivot; we're not going anywhere," Bleier said, according to the St. Louis Business Journal. "We want to keep and grow the TFA network in St. Louis."
She said about seven staff members would be staying in St. Louis as the organization continues to look for a permanent director, after the void was left when Warren Morgan left last year.
The change is not unique to St. Louis, as Bleier says about a dozen other markets are undergoing a similar change in strategy.
"By the year 2030, twice as many children in communities where TFA works will reach key educational milestones indicating they are on a path to economic mobility and co-creating a future filled with possibility," Bleier states in her letter. "In order to reach this bold and ambitious goal, TFA as a whole, and we in St. Louis, must shift the focus of our work to prioritize resources and strategies differently."
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