September 21, 2011 Dear Seattle School Board Members, I am writing to you in response to some of the contention I have

been reading about and hearing about with Teach For America teaching candidates. I also write to offer another perspective of Teach For America (TFA). Several weeks ago our Hamilton International Middle School hiring team was completing our screening and interviewing process for a Language Arts/Social Studies position. We had nearly sixty applicants to screen using rigorous criteria to guide our process. Out of the nearly sixty candidates we identified six to interview. Three of the six happened to be TFA applicants. Out of the six we interviewed, our team determined a top three, and out of the top three two happened to be TFA candidates. We had no preference toward TFA candidates, yet our team of talented and dedicated teachers and administrators clearly saw talented applicants for our students and families. Our team simply wanted the best teaching candidate in front of our students. Yet, we were not able to recommend our number one candidate because of the challenges endorsing TFA candidates. I am not writing to advocate for or against TFA candidates. Yet, I feel compelled to offer a more accurate portrayal of TFA than what you may have received. I have seen emails and letters that speak negatively of TFA candidates. Calling TFA candidates ill-prepared and stating that TFA candidates are not committed to our students. I am an alum of Teach For America. I am in my 16 th year in education. I have been serving Seattle Public Schools for ten of these years. I began teaching as an elementary school teacher before moving into middle school and eventually into administration. I have served as a teacher, mentor, teacher leader, and coach in the buildings I have worked. I have built relationships with my students and families that have endured. My experience is typical of most TFA candidates who begin teaching and continue in the field of public education as teachers, administrators, superintendents, school board members, and advocates for public education and children. TFA is indeed an alternative route to teaching. TFA actively recruits some of the brightest college seniors who are committed to serve communities through teaching. TFA invests heavily in teacher training, provides on-going teaching support, and stays ahead of the curve in effective pedagogy. For example, TFAs work with the common core standards and collaborative lesson plan design, in my opinion, is far more rigorous than what we see out of most of our local university teacher prep programs. Yet, some of the recent literature you may have seen cites information to the contrary. TFA is a viable option for broadening and enriching a racially diverse pool of outstanding teaching candidates. It offers a bridge into teaching for candidates that are reflective of the students we serve. I just wanted to reach out and communicate a more accurate portrayal than the information you may be receiving about TFA and TFA candidates. Again, I am not advocating for or against TFA candidates. I just wanted to make sure you had a more accurate perspective about Teach For America as you make decisions. Respectfully, Christopher Carter Principal Hamilton International Middle School