Teach For America New York

Our Story

One day, every PreK - 12th grade student in NYC will have the opportunity to attend great neighborhood schools—schools that support, inspire and challenge them to become the leaders our city needs.

Since our founding in 1990, TFA has played a leading role in NYC’s movement for educational equity. We have introduced more than 6,500 promising leaders to New York City schools. With incoming corps sizes ranging from 100 to 500+, TFA corps members have helped to meet critical needs for diverse talent in hard-to-staff license areas (special education, STEM, more recently early childhood) in low-income neighborhoods that have difficulty attracting and retaining qualified teachers. As a group, they were among the group of bold leaders who helped to change the prevailing ideology about what is possible for kids of color from low-income backgrounds. Their classrooms and schools served as proof points, demonstrating that with high expectations, clear vision and goals, solid plans and strong ex*****on, all students could achieve at high levels. While TFA did not invent data-driven instruction, its teachers and leaders certainly helped to make it a widespread practice.