I think there's three big reasons that interest in Teach for America is so high: ease of entrance, salary, and prestige are probably the biggest. There are few jobs that will pay you $45,000 with just a bachelor's degree in anything but the hard sciences. I doubt that there is any overwhelming interest in education specifically, but there is always the idealistic urge to give back to the community.
I think prestige accounts for the interest in TFA over say, the various teaching fellows programs. I can say for myself the thing that attracted me were the first two reasons listed above.
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I disagree that TFA is all that easy to get into. I know more people that have been rejected than have gotten in...
ReplyDeleteAlso, I must say your blog is leaning toward the bitter side these days. Disillusioned, are we? Not that it doesn't make for an entertaining read! <3