Charlie Rose - Wendy Kopp

One of the key challenges that America faces is how to improve our educational system. I have recently begun a series of conversations, underwritten by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, about the
crisis in our public schools. This week, I spoke with Wendy Kopp, the founder and president of Teach for America. Here are excerpts from that show:

Visit charlierose.com to see the full discussion.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• education
• teach
• teachers
• teaching
• school
• tfa
• charlie
• rose
• wendy
• kopp

[Agnotio]

I agree with 32doors, and I've watched the entire interview on TV. Ms. Kopp doesn't respond to much of what Charlie asks other than repetitively mouthing feel-good slogans.

[darkmatterdark]

Rose a bit is getting grumpy... he wants some answers... she's so abstract and not talking about specifics...

[scafish]

Many of these comments manifest the worst of the defeatist teacher union excuse-mongering. The data is pretty clear that TFA teachers are comparable in quality to other teachers and that transformative change is possible.

[williamstodd]

@fashionista0709 I've read the research. More importantly, I have seen what principals of traditional ISD schools and charter schools are doing....they are requesting substantial increases in the placement of TFA teachers at their schools. They are the closest to the situation, and they are accountable for their results. They are voting with their own budgets to increase their TFA allocations. Actions speak louder than anything.

[williamstodd]

@knsummers Her children go to a public school in New York

[williamstodd]

@fashionista0709 I sit on a school board that employs TFA and have seen the data first hand regarding classroom results vs other first year teachers. I've also seen how many first year teachers leave the classroom by the end of their fifth year vs TFA teachers. Based on that data we have requested a 50 pct increase in our TFA placements. In general they are as smart and committed as any other teacher pipeline we see and have a hugely positive impact on our school system's culture. culture

[fashionista0709]

@williamstodd Your stats are incorrect. You should actually read all the research first and not believe everything you hear coming out of Wendy Kopp's mouth.

[williamstodd]

35,000 graduates applied for TFA last year and applications are pacing to almost double that in 2010. There are currently 7,300 corps members teaching today with another 17,000 alumni, 60% of which are still teaching or are in education administration or research/reform efforts.  The concept of exposing our brightest graduates to our poorest children and letting them see for themselves that these children are capable of mastering their subjects and have the same aspirations is genius.

[JesseAlred]

When I think of how much Wendy Kopp and the KIPP founders got involved with corporations like Union Carbide, the Edison Project and the Bush admiistration, it. reminds me of a new Springsteen song. "A long walk home."

"you know you're lucky to be born in this town,

nobody crowds you,

nobody goes it alone,

you know the flag flying over the courthouse,

means some things are set in stone,

who we are,

and what we'll do,

AND WHAT WE WON'T"

[JesseAlred]

I am a Houston teacher who wants to communicate with TFA teachers. I respect your work, but believe TFA leaders are too close to conservatives. They blame schools and teachers, not our unequal society, for every education failing. This goes back to TFA's founding, when Wendy Kopp built an alliance with Union Carbide, whose negligence caused 100,000 casualties in India, and continued with her hookup with the Edison Project, which wanted to replace public schools with corporate schools.