CMC Achieves Teach For America's Top 20 Ranking for the First Time

CMC achieved a ranking of 16th among small colleges and universities by placing nine graduating seniors this year in the highly competitive Teach For America (TFA) Teaching Corps. The annual ranking marks the first time that CMC has placed in the top 20 in TFA's small college and university category.
Teach For America members are top college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for two years in underserved urban and rural public schools. Often, these individuals become lifelong leaders in the pursuit of educational equity. TFA recruits individuals from all academic majors and backgrounds who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, perseverance and leadership.
During the 2009-10 academic year, Teach For America received a record 46,000 applications from graduating seniors, graduate students and professionals. This fall, more than 4,500 new corps members will start teaching in schools across the country. They represent more than 630 colleges and universities, and 81 percent are graduating seniors.
This year nearly 16 percent of CMC's graduating seniors applied for positions in the 2010 TFA Teaching Corps a statistic that underscores the long tradition of service which is a hallmark of a CMC education.
"I wasn't surprised to find out that CMC was one of the top contributors to TFA," says Peter Jung '10, a TFA selectee who is currently teaching 8th grade math in the Mississippi Delta region. "One of the most important things to have under your belt in order to be included in the movement is a strong history of leadership. Many TFA corps members have started clubs, been part of their colleges' student governments, and were presidents of various organizations. CMC is therefore a prime candidate for recruiting seniors. With its focus on leadership and its students' proven academic success, the College produces many successful TFA teaching corps members."
Kevyn Klein '08, in her third year of the TFA program, currently teaches children at a school in the South Bronx. She believes a prime reason CMC students thrive in the teaching corps is that despite the challenge and stress of years spent in the classroom, they are heartened by the fact that they are working toward the laudable goal of ending educational inequality.
"My experience in the classroom these last two years will guide my future career choices," Klein says. "Whether it is through enacting education policy change, encouraging technology companies to team up with curriculum developers, or restructuring school administration, I will be working to close the achievement gap that exists across the country."
According to Tracy St. Dic, TFA's Southern California Recruitment Director, 2010 is a watershed year for CMC and marks the most students ever accepted into the teaching corps.
"I've found that CMC students do very well in our application process, and even though only a small percentage is accepted, many more were invited to phone and final interviews," St. Dic says. "The good thing is that students also don't compete directly for spots, so there is not competitionwe accept anyone who meets our high bar for admission. Plus, because we look at so many competencies, I try to help students see that they can still apply and get in, even if they don't have the highest GPA or were the President of an organization."
In St. Dic's words, TFA isn't looking for one specific type of candidate.
"It is quite prestigious for CMC to have so many students accepted into the corps.," she says. "These are the leaders that will represent CMC in communities across the country, and it shows other schools that CMC students care about social justice and equality for all students, and that they think that their lives will be enriched by serving in our schools for two years and taking that perspective with them to their future careers.
"Some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country, both public and private, actively encourage their senior class to apply to Teach For America because it's a reflection on the mindset of the institution and how they encourage their seniors to graduate and contribute to the greater society," she adds.