There is a public education problem in the United States, a serious problem that has profound effects on the present and future generations. One of the major problems is education inequity. Though many would argue that all have equal opportunities in America, it is simply not true, and if the playing field is uneven, the future is unequal as well.
A recent report released by the National Center for Education found only 12 percent of all African-American students exiting the eighth grade are proficient in math, and only 13 percent are proficient in reading. Only 17 percent of Hispanic students exiting the eighth grade are proficient in math and 15 percent in reading.
In comparison, white students score around 30 points higher in both math and reading. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but most alarming is the lack of appropriate educational resources such as schools and teachers for minority and low-income students.
“It doesn’t take much to see that minorities and low income students in this country are up a creek with a very broken boat,” said Matt Worthington, 2008 ACU graduate and current Teach for America Corps member in Washington, D.C.
The inequalities can no longer be overlooked, Worthington said. Schools that cater to low-income students simply do not have the support and resources necessary to provide the kind of educational opportunities students need and deserve.
“We say that we’re desegregated, but I’m not sure that we are” says, Stephanie Talley, an instructor in the Teacher Education program at ACU.
It is the problem of inequity in public education Teach for America is seeking to combat by recruiting promising leaders who are motivated and committed to making a difference, to be trained and placed in high-needs schools across the nation for two years, Worthington said. There is a high turnover of teachers in high-needs schools, and many of the teachers who do stay have very low proficiency ratings and do not offer a proficient education to their students, and Worthington said by seeking out and training talented individuals, Teach for America is working against this problem. The key to improving education is improving teachers, Worthington said. It is the hope of Teach for America that their corps members will stay dedicated to fighting educational problems after their two-year commitment is completed, and 66 percent of corps members stay in education after their commitment is completed, he said.
Worthington didn’t hear of the program until his senior year at ACU. He had been interested in education and applied for the program. The program is very competitive, and depending on the year, as many as 40,000 people apply; usually about 10 percent of these applicants are accepted. After a long process of interviews and essays, Worthington was accepted into the program and placed in Washington, D.C. After visiting D.C. and finding a place to keep his things, he was sent to L.A., where he would receive intensive educational training,
“It was like an education boot camp,” Worthington said.
After this training he was ready to begin teaching. Teach for America is an alternative licensure program and some regions give their students probation certification while they work on Masters of Education through cooperating universities. Worthington said he is working on his Masters of Education through George Mason University. In D.C., Worthington now works with students with learning disabilities. Last year, he worked with students who had emotional disturbances. He said these students have the highest drop-out rates of any other learning disability and are at the highest risk. He works with students who are often two to three levels behind and sometimes as much as six to seven grade levels behind, and said he views this as a very serious problem.
“We read to receive, we write to give,” Worthington said, “and if we can’t do that, what else are we going to do but wait around for someone to give us handouts until eventually the light fades out and the pain goes away?”
Worthington said he is not giving out handouts; he is giving students a much more important gift: the gift of education.
Many days, Worthington works from six in the morning to six or seven at night. It is not an easy job, but when asked why he is doing what he is doing, Worthington said, “Because I follow Jesus.”
Worthington also believes that ACU needs to talk about Teach for America.
“ACU students need to know about Teach for America because it is so close to where Jesus is leading us,” Worthington said. “I see Jesus caring about people who are overlooked.”
And that is exactly who the undeserved students in our public education system are.
“I can’t say that it’s the easiest thing to get up every morning and go to work, because it is hard working in the school system, but I know Jesus is calling me to it,” Worthington said. “I know he’s calling others to it, and I know he wants good things for his people, his children, all of his children.”
Still, he is adamant that there is a deep need for change in the United States, which can be made through education and organizations like Teach for America.
“A lot of people want to change the world, and so they get on a plane,” said Worthington. “If you want to make a great change in America, teach a kid.”
Those interested in being a part of this change may contact Teach for America recruiter Jessica Gasper at jessica.gasper@teachforamerica.org. This organization is not exclusively for education majors, but for anyone who is dedicated to making a difference through education and organizations like Teach for America.
