Changing Things

To:  Teach for America Newark Staff

DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THINGS?

One key aspect of our vision for Teach For America: organizing in the context of the community in which one lives and works. In this way we are able to sink deep roots into the community, enlarging and strengthening connections in and among different communities, absorbing into our consciousness the community’s memories of “where we have been,” forcing us to our own understanding of our collective experience.

Adapted from Bob Moses; Radical Equations: Civil Rights from Mississippi to the Algebra Project

It is our understanding that the “achievement gap” is just one symptom of a broader social disease, made endemic by long-standing political and economic factors. We believe that curing this disease will require our efforts as citizens and taxpayers, not just teachers.

It is our opinion that the TFA Newark staff should help us to focus our efforts in the following ways:

1. Encourage CMs to live in Newark, specifically by:
• Highlighting the experiences of CMs who have lived and are living in Newark on the Newark section of tfanet.org
• Including links to housing offers in Newark on tfanet.org
• Offering “guided housing tours” of Newark to incoming CMs

2. Create a “links” section on the Newark section of tfanet.org which lists community and non-profit social work/justice organizations in Newark

3. Devote the same energy and resources to advertising and getting people out to the African-American Heritage Parade and Festival as is devoted to getting people to any and all events in NYC

4. Devote the same energy and resources to having social events at a sporting/performance event at a TFA school (possibly one coached by a CM) as is devoted to happy hours

5. Urge and provide resources for CMs to register to vote (at corps meetings, other events) – and give them resources to contact their elected representatives

6. Urge and remind CMs to vote in local and national elections (through e-blasts, other email notices)

7. At May Days/induction/orientation, have a session on the history of Newark and the NPS

8. Starting from May Days, provide incoming CMs with a list of online resources where they can gather information about current and historical events in Newark.

9. Create and maintain a “policy” email list which circulates local and national relevant education and public policy articles, as a forum for discussion.

10. Use corps meetings to encourage CMs to become involved and stay knowledgeable about current events in Newark, through the TFA-sponsored items above and others.

11. Hold “contact your congressmen”/effective public advocacy workshops

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Changing Things Petition to Teach for America Newark Staff was created by and written by Matteo Tamburini (matteo.tamburini@corps2004.tfanet.org).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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