News Release
Contact
Suki Deen,
University Relations Associate
31 Reads Way
New Castle, DE
19720
302-295-1164
suki.r.deen@wilmu.edu
Teach For America Expands to Delaware Schools and Partners With Wilmington University
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - New Castle, DE
(From left to right): Senator Tom Carper, Wilmington University Dean of Education Dr. John Gray, Wilmington Mayor James Baker, Wilmington University Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Betty Caffo, Executive Director of Teach for America-Mid Atlantic Mike Wang, Congressman Mike Castle, Wilmington University Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Richard Gochnauer, and Wilmington University Program Coordinator for the Graduate Education program Alfred Diemedio.
Senator Tom Carper.
Congressman Mike Castle.
Teach for America held a press conference today at Wilmington University’s New Castle campus to announce its expansion to Delaware this fall. The organization’s plans to bring at least 20 top college graduates to teach in Delaware’s highest-need schools. Wilmington University welcomed Mike Wang, executive director of Teach for America-Mid Atlantic, along with special guests Senator Tom Carper (D), Congressman Mike Castle (R), and Wilmington Mayor James Baker.
Dr. Betty Caffo, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Wilmington University, welcomed the crowd of educators, University faculty and legislators saying, “When we were approached by the Rodel Foundation and Teach for America, our Education Division carefully evaluated the organization’s curriculum as well as whether this was a potential fit with our graduate level teacher preparation programs.” The University was pleased with their findings, said Dr. Caffo, and a new partnership began.
Under this partnership, all area Teach for America corps members will enroll at Wilmington University in order to complete Delaware’s teacher licensure requirements. Each corps member will be granted credit for his or her Teach for America coursework and on-the-job clinical work. These students will then earn the rest of their graduate degree credits at Wilmington University and have the opportunity to obtain a Master of Arts degree in Education within a two-year period.
Teach for America will place teachers in the Red Clay Consolidated School District and area charter schools. “These teachers will help children in Delaware and across the United States reach for the academic opportunities they deserve,” said Congressman Mike Castle. Wilmington Mayor James Baker echoed the Congressman’s sentiments saying, “The children of Wilmington, particularly those in our most needy schools, need more talented teachers like Teach for America corps members...Dropout rates for African American and Latinos in Wilmington are dangerously high. We can’t lose another generation.”
“I join all of Delaware in welcoming Teach for America to the First State,” said Senator Tom Carper, “Now students in our state can benefit from Teach for America’s effective approach towards recruiting, training and supporting its teachers, who will work closely with our own excellent teaching force to increase achievement in public schools in Delaware.”
Teach for America will select its Delaware corps members from a record-setting pool of 35,000 applicants nationwide. Delaware will be the third location in Teach for America’s Mid-Atlantic region, which includes Camden, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Teach for America is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “eliminate educational inequality by enlisting our nations most promising future leaders.”
“Wilmington University is excited to partner with Teach for America to help strengthen professional development for its corps members,” said Dr. Betty Caffo, “I am confident that today is a significant day for education in Delaware.”
To see more pictures from this event please visit
http://www.wilmu.edu/ur/multimedia/galleries/galleryselect.aspx.