1345 Government Street

Baton Rouge, La. 70834

225.345.7689
Dear Editor,
City Year differs significantly from TFA in its goal, strategy, and regrettably, its
prestige, said Noam Hassenfeld, in his Sept. 13, 2013, article This Former TFA Corps Member
Thinks You Should Join City Year Instead. This quote embodies the issue apparent between the
two organizations, and your argument that City Year is not extended enough credit for its
importance and effect in the classroom is appreciated.
At 18 I realized the evident education gap in my own city. City Year corps members
worked in the high school I graduated from. There were also Teach for America teachers
working in the school. I did not have the opportunity to be in any classes that the City Year corps
members aided, however, the majority of my teachers worked with TFA. My teachers, fresh out
of college, lacked experience and did not possess the ability to command the classroom. Most
days were spent debating expectations, which always resulted in the teachers conceding. As
stated in your article, they were thrust into a situation where they would either sink or swim, and
inevitably they sank.
Unlike TFA, City Year utilizes young people to make the education process easier. Corps
members offer tutoring and conduct after school programs to extend extra attention to students
that would otherwise fall even farther behind. They act as an additional means to control the
learning environment. In compliance with your article, corps members supplement teachers
rather than seek to replace them.
Again, I would like to thank you for shedding light on this issue, and promoting that
those who truly do not wish to become educators opt to join City year instead. Your first-hand
account as a Teach for America instructor offers insight into the process, and this honest
evaluation is appreciated.

Best,
Willshika Carter