We’ve taken the first step. That’s what I’ve been thinking in the wake of the presidential election, listening to one pundit after another proclaim it as “a historic moment in time.”
After electing our first African-American president, it’s tempting to believe that America’s work is done. Yet we still have children living in poverty. Baltimore still has the third-lowest public school graduation rate in the country. There’s still work to be done in classrooms and communities so that our nation will live up to the ideals behind the American Dream. It is simply not acceptable that only one in 10 children in low-income communities will graduate from college.
Now is the time to harness the potential for change and hope that has brought our new president to the brink of his administration. From my experience as a Teach for America teacher at Yorkwood Elementary School in Northeast Baltimore, as a community organizer across the city, and now leading Teach for America in Baltimore, I know that when children in our highest-need schools are given the opportunities they deserve, they excel. If I could advise President-elect Barack Obama on how to nurture this potential with his K-12 education policy, I would offer three strategies:
Seize the opportunity to engage the next generation of leaders who will address our education challenges
Obama’s appeal to younger Americans is undeniable, and he must continue to build on the energy of these supporters. He has begun this effort by calling for a corps of public school teachers. Let’s go beyond that to building an army of future community leaders.
In ever-increasing numbers, talented and smart individuals are choosing to work in Baltimore’s lowest-performing schools through Teach for America, a national program that recruits graduates of top colleges into teaching. They join other committed educators in doing whatever it takes to ensure that their students learn. Yet it is clear that top-notch teachers alone cannot address all the challenges in our education system — nor can school leaders or government officials. We need leaders in every sector, from education to law to business to the philanthropic community, to support and implement a holistic strategy to end educational inequity.
Invest in alternative pathways to recruit and train talented teachers
Even during tough economic times, we must continue to invest in programs that will change the existing educational landscape and be bold in our approach to attracting talented new teachers to the profession. At Teach for America, we have seen that the long-term return on this investment is significant, and we are working with the Maryland State Department of Education to overcome barriers to bringing in additional high-quality teachers.
These teachers will have a transformative effect beyond their Teach for America commitment. In Baltimore, Teach for America alumni are heading many of our education nonprofits and high-performing public schools. Alumna Laura Weeldreyer is applying the experience she gained as a corps member to her new role as deputy chief of staff for Baltimore City Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Andres Alonso. Alumnus Peter Kannam is leading New Leaders for New Schools, a nonprofit organization that provides training for aspiring urban public school principals. Alumnus Jason Botel is the founder of KIPP Ujima Village Academy charter school, the city’s highest-performing middle school and one of the highest-performing public schools in the state. These leaders might not have entered the education field if their only option was the traditional path to teacher certification.
Foster local solutions for education challenges
There is no single solution for the challenges facing states and school districts across the country. Yet there are many innovative ideas and programs at the local level that address specific community needs. Obama can nurture these innovative ideas with policies that promote local control over key decisions affecting schools and children.
Obama has a window of opportunity in the next few months to set the agenda for our K-12 public education system for years to come. Our community also has an opportunity to build on the momentum of this historic election; to face tough challenges together and put all of our children on a level playing field. Now that the Election Day celebrations are over, let’s take a long, hard look at how far we still have to go and what we can do to get there.
Omari Todd is the executive director at Teach for America-Baltimore and a former fourth-grade teacher at Yorkwood Elementary School.
