Teach for America recruits step up as Illinois teachers consider leaving classrooms

Teach for America recruits step up as Illinois teachers consider leaving classrooms

Nearly three out of five Illinois teachers are considering leaving the profession, but Teach for America is working to fill those gaps in Chicago schools

CHICAGO - Nearly three out of five Illinois teachers are considering leaving the profession. Teach for America (TFA) is filling those gaps by injecting new energy into Chicago-area classrooms. This summer, over 100 incoming teachers (known as corps members) got hands-on experience learning from veteran educators. 

"There's no way I can tell people how to make policies pertaining to children if I'm not putting myself in the classroom with them, if I'm not willing to get in there with them and figure out what they need," said Haniyyah Thomas, who originally planned to go into education policy.

Pay gaps are one of the main reasons so many teachers are considering leaving the classroom. In addition to the salary earned from their placement school, TFA offers each corps member up to an additional $30,000 over their two-year commitment.

What they're saying:

"We are finding young folks who are impact-oriented that believe what we believe, that all kids deserve access to an excellent education," said Anajah Philogene, Executive Director of Teach For America Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana. "We are supporting them in transitioning into the field of education. We are giving them a community of support, providing them ongoing development, providing financial support so it can be a real choice for them." 

Education wasn’t the path Nigel Hooper planned to take. His degree is in photography.

"What drew me to education is remembering the impact that previous teachers had on me," Hooper said. "I remember my first-grade teacher, Miss McGloin, my middle school art teacher, Miss Fodey, and my high school English teacher, Mr. Kanakis. These people inspired me. Even though I don't see them every day, they encourage me. The messages that they gave me when I was their student still stick with me today." 

Nearly all of new teachers are placed in schools and communities where they’re needed the most, because 80% of their students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

"I truly believe, as educators, we're meant to water the seed, " Thomas said. "I just need to nurture, I need to notice what it is that you need so that I can give you the support, the resources so you can flourish into whatever you're going to be. I believe that within Chicago, everywhere, regardless of what neighborhood you go into there’s so much potential. So we play a part, and it can be a significant part, in allowing them to see what's already within them."