2009 - Q2 Barton Award winners. Students at SJA and CHS join to ...

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Teach for America teacher Laura Shoemaker teaches eighth-grade science at Jackson Middle School. Next to Shoemaker is student Jordan Hills. 40 opt for teaching over typical first jobs if given a chance to join a national teacher corps. She raised $2.5 million in start-up funds and, in 1991, launched a class of 500 determined optimists who were sprinkled in willing districts throughout the country. The concept caught on, and expanded dramatically. This academic year alone, 6,200 corps members are teaching in 1,600 public schools across 29 regions. TFA corps members, says Tipton, are selected on the basis of their ability to lead, problem solve and demonstrate excellence. With rigorous training to back them up, and with a constant eye on indicators, they have generally outperformed veteran teachers. They don’t just fill gaps, says Tipton, they raise the bar so high that they trigger systemic change. “The big difference with our teachers is not accepting the norm, but pushing beyond it,” he says. “Corps members truly believe that this is the civil rights issue of their generation.” The program is in the midst of a massive expansion, including the operation in South Louisiana, which, despite its tenure, has remained small. Tipton says two years from now, the state’s two combined programs in Greater Baton Rouge and Greater New Orleans will be the fourth largest TFA region in the country, behind New York, Los Angeles and Texas. By then, 500 corps members will be teaching in New Orleans, and 200 in Baton Rouge. Tipton is hopeful about how a new critical mass of active corps members and alumni in Greater Baton Rouge will champion innovation and breathe new life into the region’s public schools. “The stakes are too big,” he says. “Yes, it’s brutally hard work, but we can change education with great teachers, great leaders and high expectations.” • Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Changing the world just got a little easier. Donors of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation can make a difference from their homes. Or anywhere. A new, secure website lets them recommend grants, check their charitable funds, review their giving and learn about nonprofits. The donor portal is among more Foundation services that make philanthropy easier, effective and enduring. Find out how you can start a charitable fund with the Foundation. Call Stewart Jones at 225.387.6126. Currents Q2 | 2009
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2009 - Q2 Barton Award winners. Students at SJA and CHS join to ...

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