Dear Teach For America Community,
As this year ends, I want to take a moment moment to thank you for the myriad of ways that your unwavering commitment to what is possible for all young people creates more access to opportunities they both desire and deserve. Twenty-six years into my work with Teach For America, I have seen time and again how our efforts unite many to take action toward the radical vision of One Day. I am firmly convinced that our work has never mattered more.
We all know there is no singular solution to achieving educational excellence and opportunity for all. But we also know that exceptional and diverse leadership is the linchpin in solving the most complex problems facing our country. Proximity continues to show its transformative power in our work. We know that the corps member experience transforms us – individually and collectively. When we build strong relationships, provide opportunities to the students we serve, when we believe they can do anything, and when we show deep care, our students rise to the occasion. This story of human transformation for students and the adults who teach them is the collective story we have been writing at TFA for nearly 35 years. Today, we have a force of over 70,000 corps members, alumni, and Ignite tutoring fellows whose infectious energy and leadership has, over time, influenced millions of children, transformed systems, and has an exponential impact.
- We have gained momentum and grown the corps by almost 50% over the last two years. Our current corps is made up of 57% people of color, 45% first-generation college students, 10% who were taught by corps members themselves, and about 30% who teach in high-needs STEM classrooms.
- Teach For America teachers continue to have a significant impact on student learning and growth. In fact, just last month, the American Institutes for Research published a meta-analysis that examined over two decades of research on TFA teachers, and found that TFA teachers have had a consistent and significant impact on students’ academic achievement. This research included 23 studies of TFA’s impact spanning 24 years—including 63,134 teachers and over 5 million students. We could not have achieved these results without your hard work, commitment to student learning, and tenacity during your corps experience.
- Responding to network need, we innovated and built our Ignite Fellowship tutoring program, which recruits undergraduates to tutor. Over the last four years, we’ve scaled the program from 108 learning groups to 3,200 groups impacting more than 4,800 students this year across 38 communities in 130 schools. Fellows accelerate students’ learning and foster their sense of belonging.
- 95% of schools report that Ignite fellows have a positive impact on students’ academic growth.
- An analysis of data from Ignite partner schools shows that, on average, 4th grade reading students saw more than 4 times their expected growth and 6th grade math students saw over 2-3 times their expected growth.
- Ignite has become a pathway to the corps; almost 7% of the 2024 corps were Ignite fellows.
- TFA alumni continue to take on consequential roles, driving change inside and outside classrooms, schools, and education systems. Almost 17,000 alumni continue to lead classrooms, schools, and school systems, with many recognized as educators of the year in their communities as well as at the state level, including this year’s Oregon Teacher of the Year Bryan Butcher (New York ‘12), and Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Luisa Sparrow (RGV ’05). And, in this most recent election cycle, with the phenomenal support and hard work of our partner, Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE), 157 members of the Teach For America network chose to run for elected offices, with a win rate of 74%, well above the industry rate, putting them in seats from local school boards to the US Congress, where they will have the opportunity to set the conditions for all kids to have an equal chance in life.
The upcoming year marks a pivotal milestone for Teach For America—our 35th anniversary. As I reflect on our journey thus far, it’s astounding to see how far we’ve come—from the 489 corps members and small staff at our inaugural summer training to today’s vibrant network of over 70,000 people. This community, united by a shared commitment to justice and educational excellence, stands alongside countless partners, driving the work for a brighter, more equitable future for all children.
As we head into the new year, I hope we carry forward the unyielding belief in what we know is possible for all students, lessons we’ve learned, the connections we’ve built, and the progress we’ve made. I’m proud to be in this work alongside each of you. Here’s to the continued march toward One Day.
With deepest gratitude,
Elisa Villanueva Beard (Phoenix ’98)
CEO, Teach For America
One day, all children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.
