Teach for America: Revitalize New Orleans

Teach for America in New Orleans has been helping improve the lives of students throughout the city. For the last several years, talented college graduates have been working as teachers in some of the City’s hardest hit schools. Education in New Orleans has never been as much of a priority as it is now, and Teach for America is joining in the revitalization.

Teach for America is an organization that seeks out teachers for impoverished or urban communities that don’t attract teaching talent otherwise. When a recent graduate or someone interested in changing careers approaches Teach for America, they are given the training and means necessary to be successful in the classroom.

This is a benefit to the individual seeking to be part of the system of education in New Orleans, to the students in the classroom and to the city itself. The organization provides quality, enthusiastic teachers for schools and classrooms that are overpopulated or lacking teachers.

Because Teach for America has a stringent application process, they are able to get the best possible teachers for the classrooms. Those applicants interested in changing careers to become a teacher have to meet very specific personal and educational criteria. The applicants have to fill out various applications proving their interest and understanding. They have to be able to communicate their reasons for wanting to be a teacher effectively.

If a prospective teacher passes this first very rigorous application process, Teach for America will then begin the process of setting up interviews with the person. During these interviews, the organization will be seeking out even greater details about the prospective teachers’ personal and educational history.

All of these steps are a way for the organization to seek and find the best possible candidates to be involved in the revitalization of a school system. These candidates can come from all sorts of backgrounds. People can choose to be teachers after being disaffected in their other line of work. Former business or real estate people, for example, may suddenly realize their desire to teach. Teach for America wants to be sure that they listen to everybody and approach their applications individually.

Even though the process of applying for and, if chosen, working in education in New Orleans can be a long one, the personal benefits you can experience will make it well worth it. Working as a teacher in a school system that is in the stages of revitalizing, growing and changing is exciting. You will be able to really make a difference both in the lives of children and in the city itself. 

If you are one of those people interested in making a difference, apply for a teaching position through Teach for America. There are many ways to get involved in your community. Education in New Orleans, however, may be the most important way to revitalize a city from the ground up.