CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Teach for America, an education program that puts recent college graduates from non-education backgrounds in low-performing schools, has its first invite to West Virginia.
The House of Delegates approved an alternative teacher-certification bill that will allow programs such as Teach for America to operate in the Mountain State – over strong objections from teachers unions and Democrats.
House Republicans said it’s time to give Teach for America a chance to help improve education in a state dogged by low student achievement.
“There are 280,000 children depending on us,” said Delegate Amanda Pasdon, R-Monongalia.
But Democrats fumed over the bill, saying it would put unqualified, poorly trained teachers in West Virginia classrooms….