Teach for America working in Tennessee

Supporters of traditional teacher preparation have always “had it in” for non-traditional teacher preparation programs like Teach for America.

After all, when teachers from TFA and other non-traditional programs shine, it raises doubts that the traditional approach crowd really has it right.

So, the latest news from Tennessee about the great success of TFA teachers is guaranteed to ruffle some traditionalist feathers.

Per the Tennessean, TFA teachers in Memphis outperformed both beginning and veteran teachers across the state.

Of course, according to the TFA web site we don’t have any TFA sites in Kentucky.


Tulsa, Oklahoma has TFA.

There is one in not-very-populous South Dakota.

Even the somewhat remote Rio Grande Valley has one.

Louisville has nada. It’s not listed as a possible expansion location, either.

Why am I not surprised.