GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

I’m with Pogue on the choice of Wendy Kopp, I’m not that familiar with Duncan. I’m a second city fan, but wouldn’t choosing him make his team a bit too Chi-town heavy?

As admirable as the TFA model is to train young people to be teachers, it contributes to the teacher shortage and de-professionalization of teaching because TFA commit to 2 years, then an ovewhelming majority (by TFA’s own data) move on to non-teaching careers. It makes a revolving door of teachers-in-training, good for maintaining openings for the next crop of TFA, not good for a sustainable professional teacher corps who actually dig in to teach in high need areas for the long haul, even the middle haul. How is that a model for US education?

As a current TFA corps member, in my first year of teaching, I have to agree that TFA is not part of the problem. As Michelle notes, 60% of our corps does stay in education. Though they may not all remain classroom teachers, they remain lifelong education advocates in areas like public policy, non-profit groups, politics, and the like. In addition, a growing number of our alumni (like Michelle Rhee) go on to lead schools, and whole districts. Here in Baltimore, the city school system has seen great change as TFA alum step up to the plate and help open new schools.

Would Wendy Kopp be the best choice for Secretary of Education… perhaps. Her lack of classroom experience is to her detriment, but her determination, obstinate nature, and years of experience expanding and improving Teach For America are certainly to be seen as merits.

2005 TFA Corps Member here. All of the above comments re: TFA are spot-on. With respect to Wendy Kopp as Sec. Educ., I also don’t think her lack of teaching experience should preclude her from serving. It obviously didn’t preclude her from making TFA phenomenally successful. Additionally, if Obama is about anything, it’s breaking the traditional conceptions of what must be done. Kopp would be a radical, outside-the-box pick who would really shake things up.

Despite your thoughts on the merits of TFA (I am a prior corps member and staff member); what proven experience or skills does Wendy Kopp bring to the table which would make her qualified to be Secretary of Education? Your ability to run a hospital does not mean you have the ability to operate…and vice versa. Aside from rallying people toward a cause (which is done by TFA staff members and not Wendy Kopp), what does Wendy Kopp bring–in the way of concrete experiences–to this position? Here’s a solution—Barack needs to get someone who has actually had substantial achievements in the educational community…Pedro Noguera, Beverly Hall, Arlene Ackerman, Larry Leverett, Ron Ferguson, Bob Peterkin, hell Bill Cosby the list goes on and on…actual practitioners who are proven and ready…and no offense to Wendy Kopp, but she just isn’t in their ball park.

I do not possess a medicine cabinet in my bathroom, but when I lived inside a place that did, I did not keep medicines in it. Its usually a bad concept to maintain supplements inside a place with higher amounts of moisture like you’d probably have inside a bathroom. I’ve had some pills a lot more or much less turn to mush within the medicine cabinet.