our mission & vision
Mission: to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by developing leaders
Vision: one day all children in the nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education
Vision: one day all children in the nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education
A Solvable Problem
Although thousands of children children in northeast Louisiana face the extra challenges of poverty, an increasing body of evidence shows that they can achieve at the highest levels
Although thousands of children children in northeast Louisiana face the extra challenges of poverty, an increasing body of evidence shows that they can achieve at the highest levels
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what we do
We recruit committed recent college graduates and professionals of all backgrounds to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools
We train and develop these corps members so that they have an immediate positive impact on their students
We foster the leadership of our alumni as they address this problem from all sectors
We train and develop these corps members so that they have an immediate positive impact on their students
We foster the leadership of our alumni as they address this problem from all sectors
Committed Individuals
We recruit a diverse group of leaders with a record of achievement who work to expand educational opportunity, starting by teaching for two years in a low-income community. |
Investing in Leaders
We provide intensive training, support and career development that helps these leaders increase their impact and deepen their understanding of what it takes to eliminate educational inequity. |
Accelerating Impact
A growing movement of leaders, nationally nearly 32,000 strong, works at every level of education, policy and other professions, to ensure that all children can receive an excellent education. |
the louisiana delta context & regional history
The Louisiana Delta is home to some of the most fertile soil in the world and an equally rich history, including the origin of the Teddy Bear, birthplace of Delta Airlines, and home to CJ Walker, the first African American female millionaire. It could also be argued today that it is also home to some of the nicest and most hospitable people in our country—people who wave to most anyone they see, welcome you into their homes, and have even been known to drive 10 miles out of town to deliver you a good meal. However, while there are many great and truly special things about this rural place, it is also home to some of the highest levels of poverty and lowest school performance scores in the country. Roughly half of the children in Madison, Tensas, and Concordia Parishes grow up in poverty. Average ACT scores of 15-18, versus a national average and college-ready bar of 21, indicate far too many students are well below the college-ready mark when they leave high school. Ultimately, this means that today only 1 in 10 of all adults across the region have a college degree, and only 1 in 20 African American adults. Further, only 2 in 3 adults have a high school diploma or GED, often limiting their access to opportunities to achieve their dreams in life.
Since 2010, our corps in the Louisiana Delta has grown from 10 teachers in one town and district to 36 teachers in five towns and four districts. While we still have a long way to go, we are already seeing our teachers becoming part of and working alongside the community to ensure our students have the same opportunities as those in other parts of the country. Inside our school walls, our corps members and other school leaders are working to ensure our kids are no longer unprepared for college by creating environments centered on rigorous content and a positive culture that will allow our students to prove what they’re capable of to anyone that doubts them. In addition to the hard work that goes into their classrooms daily, it’s common to see our corps members outside of the classroom, participating in extracurricular activities and after school tutoring, staffing ticket booths and coaching sports teams, helping with floats during community events, and running soccer leagues and dance clinics. The possibilities to impact our kids and communities while growing your own leadership are endless. It’s clear that people in the community – from parents to superintendents to mayors to corps members - want to make the Louisiana Delta a place where kids can achieve any dream they have in life, and schools that are rigorous and loving places for students to grow is critical to making this a reality.
Since 2010, our corps in the Louisiana Delta has grown from 10 teachers in one town and district to 36 teachers in five towns and four districts. While we still have a long way to go, we are already seeing our teachers becoming part of and working alongside the community to ensure our students have the same opportunities as those in other parts of the country. Inside our school walls, our corps members and other school leaders are working to ensure our kids are no longer unprepared for college by creating environments centered on rigorous content and a positive culture that will allow our students to prove what they’re capable of to anyone that doubts them. In addition to the hard work that goes into their classrooms daily, it’s common to see our corps members outside of the classroom, participating in extracurricular activities and after school tutoring, staffing ticket booths and coaching sports teams, helping with floats during community events, and running soccer leagues and dance clinics. The possibilities to impact our kids and communities while growing your own leadership are endless. It’s clear that people in the community – from parents to superintendents to mayors to corps members - want to make the Louisiana Delta a place where kids can achieve any dream they have in life, and schools that are rigorous and loving places for students to grow is critical to making this a reality.
louisiana delta orientations to our work
PROOF
We seek to create school and community aligned projects and vision. Our corps members work with their families and their community to create concrete examples to share. Our corps members will achieve leadership roles and create new opportunities for their students which also impact the greater good of their communities. We will share proof at all levels in the community, to unite and empower our community members. |
POSITIVITY
We know and recognize this work is tough, but celebrate the successes we and others have along the way, knowing its importance to sustain us through even the most challenging times. We must not only focus on what is yet to be done but also on the progress that has been made, and remain optimistic about what we seek to accomplish. We must maintain a sense of pride in our work, our students, our community, and our region. |
PEOPLE
We believe people are central to this work. We deeply value and care for our kids, families, teammates in TFA, and district and community partners. We know that in order to make the impact we seek, we must deeply know each other and work side by side with community members and leverage our unique strengths and experiences. |
PERSEVERANCE
We must remain flexible given the challenging work we are taking on. We must ensure we do not make excuses that limit our potential but seek solutions to keep a high bar and continually make progress towards it. |
our national core values
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