Budget cuts may leave Americorps-sponsored teachers without the pay they were promised this year.
Since 1993, Teach for America, has placed 287 recent college graduates in the Mississippi Delta to teach. Until recently, the national organization, which sends new teachers into 20 low-income areas throughout the United States, was sponsored in part by the federal AmeriCorps.
However, due to the budget cuts within the AmeriCorps this year, teachers currently working under Teach for America may not receive the payment they expected.
Ron Nurnberg, executive director for Teach for America in the Mississippi-Arkansas Delta, said the problem was not fully anticipated.
“Each year Teach for America reapplies for a grant from AmeriCorps. This year we kept receiving reassurances that even though there were budget cuts within the AmeriCorps, we would be unaffected by them,” Nurnberg said.
Despite such assurances, Nurnberg said AmeriCorps was unable to re-approve the Teach for America grant this year.
Nurnberg said while the organization only received 7 percent of its funding from the federal government, the teachers who worked through the program were considered AmeriCorps volunteers.
As volunteers, they were entitled to receive an education award directly from the federal government for $4,725 each year of service and were eligible for deferments on student loans.
The organization will not receive its $1.7 million grant from the government, and 84 Mississippi Delta teachers have lost the money that would have paid their Americorps volunteer supplement, Nurnberg said.
Education majors said that they feel this is a great misfortune for the schools, the teachers and the Teach for America organization.
“I think the government should honor its debts and keep funding the program to encourage more people to become teachers,” John Callahan, a junior in secondary education, said.
Although teachers who have worked for Teach for America this year will not receive their money from the AmeriCorps, the Teach for America organization pledged to raise the money and honor their promises.
Aimee Bordelon, a senior in secondary education, said “I was part of a program similar to that and if that had happened to me, I would be mad. I think it’s ridiculous that politicians do not put enough emphasis on education. Education should be a top priority.”
Nurnberg said Teach for America is trying to find alternate sources to ensure the money for the teachers this year. Several organizations, businesses and individuals have already made donations.
Nurnberg said he worries about the future of the program next year.
“We are most concerned that recruiters have already been to campuses, inspiring people to join when we do not know what the status of the AmeriCorps will be next year,” Nurnberg said.
“One of the goals of Teach for America is that we are trying to build a diverse teaching corps where anyone who wants to join the organization and teach can do so.
“Unfortunately, this may hold back some candidates who maybe cannot afford to do it without the education award,” he added. “Right now we are trying to figure out our funding for next year. We definitely do not want for finances to prevent anyone from teaching.”
2Reflector Newspaper2SORTV™2STR
o”