Meet the ACPS Partner: Teach For America

Teach For America's (TFA) mission is to find, develop and support extraordinary leaders to transform education and expand opportunity for all children. “We recruit the best and brightest talent—exceptional college students and professionals early in their careers—from all backgrounds to teach in hard-to-staff schools in urban and rural America,” shared TFA Managing Director, Leadership Development (D.C. and Virginia Region) Jen Omegna. In the summer before corps members begin teaching, TFA provides robust pre-service training that is ongoing throughout the entirety of the two-year teaching commitment. 

“Teach For America was a great fit for me. I knew that I would be surrounded by a cohort of people with the same passion and that we would be provided with training and resources to be the best teachers we could be,” said Isabella Sheridan who is teaching second grade at John Adams Elementary School (John Adams). 

“Given this successful partnership, the number of corps members we hire each year grows and grows and many individuals opt to remain teaching past the required service time,” noted ACPS Acting Chief Human Resources Officer Kamika Valmond.

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) began partnering with TFA in the 2018-19 school year, and by the following school year, 2019-20, seven corps members were placed in four ACPS schools, impacting 240 students. For the 2025-26 school year, 12 ACPS schools welcomed 34 corps members, educating 1,500 students. Additionally, over 40 experienced TFA alumni teachers currently staff ACPS classrooms as they nurture, educate and inspire every student for success.

“TFA corps members bring strong content knowledge, a growth mindset and a committed focus on serving students in historically underserved communities,” said ACPS Executive Director of Instructional Support Carmen Sanders. “Most notably, the partnership has enhanced the division’s educator pipeline by attracting diverse, highly motivated candidates who are dedicated to advancing equity and student success.” 

“Not only do I get to watch kids blossom as people, but I also get to see them grow as students,” said Sheridan. “A child who came to me unable to read words longer than three letters in August spent our field trip in April reading every sign they could see in the zoo. A child whose family immigrated to the country in the middle of the school year speaking no English could read and speak in complete sentences by June.” 

TFA educators advance students’ academic and personal growth while helping to strengthen their schools. Key findings from the independent research firm Westat’s Spring 2025 survey found 90% of ACPS principals reported that corps members’ students met or exceeded their expectations for learning outcomes.

“While making a difference for students, corps members grow into the kind of leader who understands how to change systems. They cultivate the skills needed to address the causes of unequal access and opportunities within and beyond the field of education,” Omegna explained.

“The partnership also promotes retention and long-term capacity building. Many TFA educators continue their careers within ACPS beyond their initial commitments, evolving into teacher-leaders and contributing to instructional consistency across schools. Overall, this collaboration strengthens both immediate staffing needs and the development of a skilled, equity-focused workforce in ACPS,” said Sanders.

TFA welcomes applicants from all college majors, backgrounds and career goals. 

Applications for the 2027 TFA corps open in August. 

Teaching at John Adams has been a positive experience for Sheridan. “Teach For America is an additional support outside of the classroom that helps you be your best,” she added.  “I have loved this community and my school so much that I will be staying past my two-year contract with TFA.”

**Teach For America was founded in 1990 by Wendy Kopp, based on the idea in her 1989 senior thesis at Princeton University that proposed a national teacher corps to address staffing shortages and chronic underachievement in low-income schools across the nation. View the Teach For America video.