School testimonials
Teach For Australia greatly values the support and involvement of our participating schools. We work together with each school to ensure that Teach For Australia Associates meet their placement schools' needs, are adequately prepared to contribute significantly to the school's success and receive excellent support and training throughout their two years on the program. Our selection process and the competencies that we select for have been developed in conjunction with school representatives. School principals are also directly involved as assessors in our Selection Days.
"I was very impressed with calibre of the candidates I met and the rigor of the selection process Teach For Australia will run. From what I know, I would be happy to have Teach For Australia associates in my school." Glenn Proctor (Selection Day Assessor and Executive Principal of Hume Secondary College)
As our first cohort of Associates begin their school placements, further information will be placed on this webpage. Continue reading for details of schools involved with our international affiliated programs.
"I recruit individuals who possess a high level of expertise in their content areas and who are passionate about teaching. They must be energetic, caring and respectful of our school community. What I have found to be a unique quality in Teach For America corps members is that they are prepared to face the challenges of teaching in New York City from the first day they meet their students. They are tenacious in seeking solutions to meet the needs of all children. I couldn't ask for better teachers for my students."
Lola Padin, Principal, Sunset
Park Prep,Community Learning Support Organization - Teach For
America placement school
Satisfaction across the network
Our partners in the UK and the USA both regularly survey leaders from their placement schools, the results of which show very high rates of satisfaction:
- 95% of participating principals rate Teach For America corps members as effective as, if not more effective than, other beginning teachers in terms of overall performance and impact on student achievement
- 61% regard Teach For America teachers as more effective compared with other beginning teachers in their schools with respect to their impact on student achievement
- At least one Teach First (UK) school attributed a rapid improvement in its standards almost entirely to the contribution of Teach First participants in a recent report by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
- Teach First participants were found to have transformed underperforming departments and made a very significant contribution to raising staff's aspirations of the students
For these reasons, both programs have a very high retention rate of schools who are involved in the program: 90% of principals from schools involved in Teach For America and 98% of those involved in Teach First ask for more participants.
For further evaluation of Teach For America, see their National Principal Survey Results, 2007. To read the full Ofsted report, see Teach First's website.
"Our school went from a 32% 5 A*-C GCSE pass rate to 74% in only four years. Our school ethos is now one of achievement and success when only a few years ago we were one of the lowest achieving schools in Brent. Much of this improvement is down to our involvement with the Teach First scheme."
Gill Ball, Headteacher Wembley High Technology College
"Our principals will line up to get a Teach For America teacher. They know from experience that Teach For America teachers are consistently good instructional personnel. Teach For America participants are very student focused and are highly committed to student success. Like all new teachers, they sometimes find the classroom a real challenge, but instead of succumbing, they rise to the opportunity, work through their problems, and come to a solution that will benefit the student, the teacher and the school."
Dr. Carl E. Harris, Superintendent of Durham Public Schools
If you are interested in finding out more about how your school can get involved with Teach For Australia, please email schools@teachforaustralia.org
