What Do YOU Think about Teach for America?

Teach for America stirs up skepticism and "disgust" for teacher advocates, Cobb Board of Education members and even parents from other parts of Cobb, but for many South Cobb parents, it signals hope and change for achievement-challenged schools.

South Cobb Patch wants to hear from you, South Cobb, about Teach for America. Sure, many have spoken up about this program, but many of them are not from the area most likely to be affected by the program. Many of them have also not been teachers, but teacher advocates have been able to speak on their behalf.

Before last week’s Board of Education 4-3 vote to authorize Superintendent Michael Hinojosa to begin fundraising for Teach for America, Cobb County Association of Educators President Connie Jackson spoke with South Cobb Patch about the issue.

Jackson said, “Our education programs may not be everything that we need, but let’s use what we have first before we go out and start looking for a Miracle cure. Teach for America is not what Cobb needs… They need to stop pitting parents and teachers against each other. There’s enough blame to go around. Let’s all sit down together and start working on the things we can fix. We can’t fix poverty… (But) there are things that can be done. The problem is they’re hard, they take work. If it was that easy, it would have already been fixed… There is nobody looking to keep the status quo. “

Are you a South Cobb parent? A teacher at a South Cobb school? Do you agree with Jackson? Tell us your thoughts below.