Tulsa World: Tulsa might get extra teachers

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Tulsa might get extra teachers
New York City schools can't afford the Teach for America recruits.

NOW HIRING
Superintendent Keith Ballard: "We will match up the openings with the people who are certified," he said.

By ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer
Published: 8/20/2009 2:39 AM
Last Modified: 8/20/2009 4:39 AM

New York City's loss could be Tulsa Public Schools' gain.

Teach For America, the nonprofit teacher-recruitingorganization, could be sending Tulsa an additional 10 to 20 teachers to fill last-minute vacancies because the New York City public school system couldn't afford to take all of the recruits it had been promised.

"We had some last-minute openings," Superintendent Keith Ballard said, "and Teach ForAmerica called and asked if we were interested. We are assessing our needs very carefully, but we have enough confidence in Teach For America that we will match up the openings with the people who are certified and tell them to come down and they will be placed."

Tulsa Public Schools has a particular need for qualified special- education teachers, of which there is a shortage in of Oklahoma, and Teach For America just happens to have some teacher recruits who could help fill the bill.

Tulsa Public Schools already has 76 teachers recruited by Teach For America in place for the 2009-10 school year, which begins Thursday for traditional-calendar schools.

Additional recruits could arrive in Tulsa by the middle of next week, Ballard said.

Phyllis Lovett, the new principal at Gilcrease Middle School, is eagerly awaiting word about whether any new recruits could help her fill two vacancies.

"Finding good quality applicants has been a real challenge for me in the area of special education," Lovett said. "I can't tell you how many times I've scheduled interviews and they don't show up."

Gilcrease, at 5550 N. Cincinnati Ave., already has 12 new teachers who were recruited by Teach For America, and Lovett has been impressed by them.

"I've got good support here to help them get acclimated," she said. "I just need people who are willing to learn and have that passion to help high-poverty students. They don't mind being here."

Teach For America seeks to eliminate inequities in education by recruiting recent top college graduates from all academic majors, career interests and backgrounds to commit to two years of teaching children in low- income areas.

The organization has committed to bringing in a minimum of 50 new teachers for Tulsa Public Schools each academic year through 2011 to help fill the 400 vacancies the district has annually.

In exchange, Tulsa Public Schools pays Teach For America $2,500 to $3,000 for each teacher who is recruited, in addition to the teachers' salaries, to help cover the cost of the intensive summer training program that teacher recruits attend before reporting for duty.

Andrea Eger 581-8470
andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com By ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Tulsa could receive additional 10 to 20 teachers through nonprofit group," which was published on 8/19/2009.

	Report Comment jonas x3, Tulsa (8/20/2009 3:52:09 AM) Recruite Locally! You dance with who brung ya! Great apples hear - better than NYC!
	Report Comment Herbert Rogers, Jenks (8/20/2009 6:02:06 AM) Dear Andrea, You DO know the old definition of an "Expert"...right? It's an out-of-towner with an opinion. We'll fall for it every time !
	Report Comment Herbert Rogers, Jenks (8/20/2009 6:21:05 AM) OH yes...one more thing...I'm going to keep repeating this, until someone listens: It's sooooo easy to sit back and relax while (we) conveniently blame Teacher Education Skills, Teacher Motivation Skills, etc., etc. NO ONE wants to (even) mention Student-attitudes towards learning, towards authorities, towards putting-a-book-underneath-your-arm(s). You want to be the district-of-Choice??? Then, go and find GOOD students...students who WANT to learn. BUS them in. They need a place to stay?? No problem...apparently, there's Foundation Money for billeting. Just DO it...and you will see Teachers's jaws DROP from all the inovativeness!
	Report Comment moogle, Tulsa (8/20/2009 2:52:34 PM) Instead of NYC sending excess teachers here, I propose we send lousy students to NYC.
	Report Comment Arbythree, Tulsa (8/20/2009 3:14:58 PM) I am with moogle.
	Report Comment Ignatz, Broken Bow (8/20/2009 6:52:35 PM) I propose we send anyone with avatars as ridiculous as "moogle" to NYC or Libya.

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