Sunday, August 30, 2009

Why I Teach for America


I wanted to begin this journey with an explanation of how I found myself in what has been termed "the most southern place on earth." Upon graduation from Brigham Young University, the only thing I was sure of was that I wanted to be involved in something that helped others. My experiences touring with the Young Ambassadors, a performing/service group from BYU, taught me that the only time I was truly happy, was when I was in the service of others. I cannot even put into words the feeling of cradling a small orphan in South Korea and singing lullabies from my childhood quietly in his ear. It was during this moment that I knew the only possible course for my life was to find a path in which I could be of service to others. I had this dream of being the next Mother Theresa, or Father Theresa for all intents and purposes, and providing aid to the underprivileged masses of some exotic country. I do have to say that I have stumbled across a pretty exotic culture here in Mississippi, so maybe my dream will materialize after all. During my undergrad I focused on nutritional sciences because I realized that one of the ways I could have the greatest impact on others would be to become a doctor. I also secretly questioned as to whether becoming a teacher would allow me to have an even greater impact, but was too far into my major to change my course of study. It was ultimately my love for sociology that led me to the staggering truths about the achievement gap, and helped me to find something I could do about it.

For those of you not familiar with the achievement gap, here are a few statistics from the NEA to clue you in:

"By age three, children of professionals have vocabularies that are nearly 50 percent greater than those of working class children, and twice as large as those of children whose families are on welfare.

  • By the end of fourth grade, African American, Latino, and poor students of all races are two years behind behind their wealthier, predominantly white peers in reading and math. By eighth grade, they have slipped three years behind, and by twelfth grade, four years behind.

  • By the end of high school, black and Hispanic students' reading and mathematics skills are roughly the same as those of white students in the eighth grade

  • African American students are three times more likely than white students to be placed in special education programs, and are half as likely to be in gifted programs in elementary and secondary schools.

  • Black students are only about half as likely (and Hispanics about one-third as likely) as white students to earn a bachelor's degree by age 29."

  • It is clear that educational inequality is one of the greatest injustices we face as a nation. Teach for America is an organization that is working tirelessly to increase the quality of education in rural and inner city neighborhoods across the U.S. They do this by recruiting recent college graduates who are inspired by the injustices they see in society, and teaching them to utilize this passion to make up for their inexperience as teachers. I applied to Teach for America on a whim because I believed in what they stood for, and because the application was surprisingly similar to the medical school applications I had already completed. However, it was not until my final interview that I was sure this was the place that would allow me to make the most impact on others. By the end of the interview, the interviewer and I sat silently staring at one another wiping away tears. Now in most circumstances I would advise against this hiring tactic, but it was so clear that this experience could prove to be one of the most empowering moments of my life. I cannot even put into words how frightening and incredible it was to finally find my place after searching for so long. Now I need to point out that my interviewer was not crying because I did such a poor job interviewing, but because the emotion was overwhelming as she tried to portray her experience teaching the children on the West Shore of Hawaii. As I listened to her story and learned of the struggles the Mississippi Delta was facing, I felt immediately that there was only 1 place I could go. Therefore, It came as little surprise when I received the email 2 weeks later informing me that I would be teaching high school biology in the Mississippi Delta.

5 comments:

Katie said...

Wow! Those statistics are crazy! It really is unfair that the opportunity for a basic education is not really available to all who desire it.

Jolie said...

That picture of you holding the child is a beautiful representation of your dream. So many to love...and so little time.

Karen Webb said...

I am so proud of you! I'm going to see if Katie's Drill Team can do a fundraiser of supplies for you! I miss you!

Alyssa said...

Jaremy,
I can't tell u how much I love you. Your writing and honesty about everything is so inspiring. I am so proud of how you have handled so many things with such patience and love. Your love for your kids is so evident and even though it may seem as though they cannot stand you at times...It may be their way of showing that they think you are "cool" :) cuz I sure do. I love how willing you are to give all you have and do the best you can and I know that heavenly father wouldn't give you anything you couldn't handle. I love you. Keep dancing through life..cuz it looks like you might have a few followers to dance with you:)
Love
Alyssa

Heidi said...

Jaremy,
My parents just moved in to the ward that your dad is Bishop over in Saratoga Springs. I was visiting my family when he made a stop by. He made mention of what you are involved in and told us to check out your blog. No doubt he is very proud of you. I too studied sociology in college and have big dreams of doing some great service for the world! What you're doing is evidence of your love for God. It's beautiful. In a strange way I am jealous. Sometimes my dream seems so distant--I'm not quite sure how to make it happen. But I think about it every day. How did you get where you're at? I'd love to know more about it.

Heidi