Teach for America started out, I think, with the idea of improving the education received by Americans, especially those from poor families. But the organization now weighs in on the immigration issue: “Teach For America Urges Congress To Pass The DREAM Act”. The press release says “The Trump administration announced today that the DACA executive order is being rescinded. The reversal of DACA runs counter to our core values…”
I wonder if this means Teach for America has discovered that Americans are too hard to teach. Thus they’re now advocating organizationally for as many immigrant children as possible?
Related:
- Smartest Kids in the World Review
- Michelle Rhee (unionized teachers’ nemesis is a Teach for America alumna)
To teachers (and I would expect to every civilized person) DREAMERs are American; that’s the point of it. They are not legally recognized as citizens, but they are part of the social community of “under-privileged American kids” who need and deserve education and every other form of help. I am Australian, and we have similar issues here, as the government (of both main parties over many years) treats asylm-seekers as outcasts; indeed trying to put them in detention centres in other countries; while teachers, doctors, lawyers and all kinds of people of conscience try to get support to them.
Philip, you’re overthinking it. The kind of bright-eyed, idealistic young kids who go to work for Teach For America are 99.99% progressives who believe that immigrant children are historically oppressed minorities who need protection and charity from the government. ‘Nuff said.
Let’s face it. Teach for America benefits if there are more kids to teach. So it’s a very self-serving position.
Alan – slogans are no substitute for thinking. Just loudly proclaiming that DREAMERs (in other words, illegal aliens) are American doesn’t make them Americans. People of conscience, civilized persons, etc. can have differing views on this issue. To be honest, many of the so-called refugees are really economic immigrants. If refuge is really the issue, they would be much better off in a country closer to their home country with a more similar language, culture and religion. But of course those places don’t have the social welfare benefits or economic opportunities available in rich Western countries. I don’t blame them and their parents for wanting to live in a rich Western country with lots of free goodies such as free public education at taxpayer expense, but we can’t have the entire 3rd world moving here – if they do, they will bring the very dysfunction that they fled with them.
Never heard of a 501c3 trying to teach Americans. For decades, they have focused all their money on making Chinese, Indians & Africans the world superpowers.
Does Teach for America refuse to teach children of illegal immigrants due to the fact that they are not legalized? There is no law that prevents them teach children of illegals. Being 501c3 they are well funded already.