Lapayese, Aldana & Lara| Perspectives on Urban Education Volume 11 Issue 1 Winter 2014 20
Since its origins, TFA has exponentially
increased its many perks to its corps
members such as access to nancial benets
and social networks. TFA corps members
and alumni access discounts for LSAT and
MCAT prep courses, along with waived
application fees for graduate degree
programs–ultimately recognizing that corps
members do leave classroom teaching upon
completing TFA’s two-year program.
Interest-convergence analysis of TFA
A
n interest-convergence framework lets
us examine TFA through a more critical
lens. We argue that TFA exists, and ourishes,
because it benets White racial and economic
interests. In order to create real structural
change, we must evaluate and expose
those safe at the top of the organization’s
hierarchy, as well as the harm being done to
those on the bottom. When White interests
remain silent and unseen, they are ultimately
being upheld and fostered, often morphing
them into stronger forms. It is important to
expose the work of White organizations in
urban schools as non-neutral —not to create
hopelessness, but necessitate pragmatism,
because we must understand their intent and
motivation before we prioritize and apply
our solutions.
Acts that help students of color also implicate
White interests, as these acts connect White
racial and economic interests with the
oppressed people of color. Bell asserts that
under these circumstances, organizations
cannot directly help disenfranchised people.
These acts will only help secondarily (in
this case, alternative teacher training) and,
even then, they do not primarily focus
on the beneciaries. Directly helping
disenfranchised groups would expose
a long-held institutional, psychological,
nancial, and White personal privilege that
has accrued over time. Some will see a direct
move as admitting White responsibility for
oppressing minorities. This paradoxal pattern
categorizes Whiteness as an individualized,
merit-based hierarchy, further disassociating
Whiteness from real change.
On their website, TFA makes the following
claims:
Teach for America is building a movement to
eliminate educational inequity by enlisting
our nation’s most promising future leaders
in the eort. We recruit outstanding recent
college graduates and professionals from
all backgrounds to teach for two years in
low-income communities. Corps members
receive robust training and support to
help them lead their students to success
and receive a competitive salary, health
insurance, and retirement benets through
their schools for their critical work. After two
years, they join a growing force of alumni in
education, policy, law, medicine, and other
sectors who are leading some of the most
successful eorts to ensure that all children
have the opportunity to receive an excellent
education.
You will become part of a growing
movement of people from all backgrounds
working to improve the education and
life prospects of children in low-income
communities. As a corps member, you will
further develop the leadership, management
and critical thinking skills essential for
success in any eld. As you take the next
steps in your career, you will have access to
more than 200 graduate school and employer
partnerships, plus a network of nearly
30,000 leaders working within and beyond
education.