Statements

Mission

Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a diverse network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate.

Background

Teach For America was invited to Nashville in 2009 through the collective leadership and efforts of Mayor Karl Dean, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), and local philanthropic leaders. Since then, we have been working to fulfil our mission: finding, developing, and supporting a diverse network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. We do this by recruiting, selecting, and training corps members (teachers) to teach in high-need public schools. We work closely with our school district and principal partners to recruit and develop individuals to meet pressing hiring needs in grades K-12.

Impact

Teach For America Nashville-Chattanooga is grounded in our vision that one day all children will have access to an excellent education. At the most foundational level, we are committed to the relentless pursuit of exceptional, equity-oriented leaders who are prepared to transform education from the ground up in classrooms across Nashville and Chattanooga. After more than a decade of consistently strong results in the region, Teach For America has solidified its reputation as a provider of high-quality teacher candidates across the state.

Below, we've outlined our measurable success across three broad categories:
1) the recruitment of additional educators to high-need schools; 2) the diversity of teacher-leaders we are bringing to Nashville and Chattanooga, and 3) the impact of our corps members and alumni throughout all levels of the education system in our footprint.


We recruit nationally and bring outstanding and diverse leaders who have demonstrated evidence of leadership and commitment to change Nashville and Chattanooga:
• Since 2009, Teach For America has recruited over 2,200 corps members to Nashville and Chattanooga, impacting an estimated 150,000 students across MNPS and HCS;
• Teach For America currently partners with over 40 public schools in HCS, MNPS, and the Nashville charter sector. We intentionally place corps members at the highest-need schools and in the hardest-to-fill teaching positions;
• Of 43 Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) in the state that are evaluated annually by the Tennessee State Board of Education, Teach For America Nashville-Chattanooga is the number one in fulfillment of high-demand endorsement areas (57.1% v. 29.1% state average);
• Over 1,000 Teach For America alumni continue to live and work in the Nashville-Chattanooga region, and 70% of those alumni continue to work in education and/or in roles serving low-income communities.

Needs

Today in Nashville, all students do not have access to an education that will adequately prepare them for college and career. While the Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) district has made strides in improving the high school graduation rate, the majority of its students are not ready for college or a career that will lead to financial stability. At Teach For America, we have seen that this does not have to be the case - all students can achieve at high levels when they are given the opportunities. In order to change the narrative of education in Nashville, our students must have great teachers who provide a rigorous education to improve student achievement.

We are at an exciting time of continued innovation in Teach For America's work. We are anchored in an ambitious goal to double the number of children in communities where we work who are on a pathway to economic mobility and improved outcomes by 2030. Specifically, we are consulting two academic milestones to gauge our progress: 3rd grade reading and 8th grade math. While we will continue to recruit and support classroom teachers as a key lever for impact, we are also excited to pilot programs like our high-dosage tutoring program, the Ignite Fellowship, which launched in Chattanooga in October 2022.

CEO Statement

Nashville's reputation for its diverse music scene, top universities, and health care industries often deflects attention from the significant achievement gap facing our public schools. In a city full of exceptional universities, far too few of our students are graduating high school prepared to go to college. Yet, we remain optimistic about what lies ahead for Nashville area students. There are many important efforts happening to address the injustices facing America's children growing up in poverty, and we strive to be a key partner among many. Our commitment starts with developing teacher leaders and continues through the work our alumni pursue across education and related fields. Changing the reality faced by our students depends on the collective action of many. It takes action from people in every community and field working together to break down barriers, develop new solutions, and inspire collective action. Together, we can reach the day when all children in Nashville have access to an empowering education.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Education  - Elementary & Secondary Schools
Secondary Category:	Public & Societal Benefit  - Leadership Development
Tertiary Category:	Community Improvement, Capacity Building  - Community & Neighborhood Development

Areas Served

TN - Davidson

National