Teach For America, a teaching corps with a goal of helping students in low-income areas achieve academic success, has come to Lenoir County.
Robyn Fehrman, director of the Eastern North Carolina region for TFA, said the organization’s goal is for all children to have access to a good education.
“For us in Eastern North Carolina, that means that all children, particularly those who are growing up in poverty, will have the opportunity to go to college,” she said.
She said the short term goal is to recruit diverse and talented individuals from across the country to help with educational inequality throughout two-year teaching commitments at a high needs school. After two years, the goal is to have those individuals continue to make an impact in helping kids receive a quality education.
She said applicants go through a stringent interview process. This past year, TFA received more than 57,000 applications and only accepted 6,000. She said after acceptance, teachers go through a summer training program, where they teach summer school and learn through experience. Teachers then interview with schools in their region and start teaching after being hired by the school. TFA still provides support, through coaching and other resources during those two years.
Fehrman said this is TFA’s first year in Lenoir County, and it came as a result of a partnership between TFA and Lenoir County Public Schools.
“We feel really privileged and humbled to partner with Lenoir County schools and the greater Kinston community to do our part in helping ensure that kids growing up in Lenoir County have every opportunity to have a quality education,” she said.
Currently, there are eight TFA teachers in Lenoir County: two at Kinston High School, three at Rochelle Middle School and three at Southeast Elementary School.
People join TFA for a variety of reasons, including gaining teaching experience and giving back to low-income communities.
Colleen Alfonso said she joined because she can relate to the students she is teaching.
“I grew up in a very similar household. I only had one parent and we were in a low economic status. My education wasn’t that great because of my background of how we didn’t have money. Now I need it in my classroom and I want to help,” she said.
Teachers come from all over the country and Lauren Kleist said it has been an adjustment after moving from Illinois to Kinston.
“Being in the Southeast is vastly different from Chicago, which is a huge city and you are always on the go. Here it is more slow and laid back, which is something I’ve come to enjoy,” she said.
Jenifer Hogg said teaching is a difficult profession, and what helps her most is the support she receives at the school level.
“My mentor at Rochelle, Ms. Moultrie, is amazing. With TFA you do have that outside support, but there is no replacement for having that support in your own school. Someone who is there every day and will lend you advice.” she said.
Hogg said she is glad to be a part of TFA, but first and foremost, she is a teacher.
“I’m an employee of Rochelle Middle School, who happens to come from this lateral entry program,” she said.
Kim Hazelgrove, beginning teacher coordinator with LCPS, said she is glad to have the TFA teachers in Lenoir County.
“We are so appreciative that Teach For America has provided quality teachers for some hard-to-fill positions and we look forward to our continued partnership with their organization,” she said.
Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @nclark763.