"Good Intentions Can Only Get You So Far": Critical Reflections From Teach For America Corps Members Placed in Special Education

《"Good Intentions Can Only Get You So Far": Critical Reflections From Teach For America Corps Members Placed in Special Education》

打印

关键字: educational policy; Teach For America; special education; teachers; students; STUDENT-ACHIEVEMENT; URBAN-SCHOOLS; MODEL

作者单位: [Thomas, Matthew A. M.] Univ Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Thomas, MAM (reprint author), Univ Sydney, Sydney Sch Educ & Social Work, Sociol Educ & Comparat Educ, A35 Educ Bldg,Room 820, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. E-Mail: matthew.thomas@sydney.edu.au

摘要: Research on Teach For America (TFA) continues to grow, but scant scholarship has explored the experiences of its corps members working in special education in urban schools. As teachers who require in-depth knowledge of legal and liability processes as well as effective pedagogical practices, corps members in special education positions have significant demands placed on them that often lie beyond the roles and responsibilities of other TFA teachers. This article therefore focuses on the experiences of five TFA corps members placed in special education as it explores their critical reflections about the minimal preparation and support they received from TFA. In light of recent special education initiatives launched by TFA, the article raises questions about the continued involvement of TFA in the field of special education and its ability to adequately prepare corps members for the unique responsibilities served by special education teachers in the United States.