A Teach First Deutschland classroom
In 1990, Teach For America enlisted its first group of 500 talented young leaders in addressing the problem of educational inequity by committing two years to teach in the United States' highest-need schools. Now in its 20th year, Teach For America, led by founder Wendy Kopp who initially proposed the organization's creation in her undergraduate senior thesis, places more than 7,000 teachers in 35 urban and rural regions, with a growing body of research demonstrating that these teachers are more effective in advancing student achievement than traditionally trained teachers. Moreover, 17,000 Teach For America alumni are already leading school systems, running many of a new generation of high-performing schools in low-income communities, winning prestigious teaching awards, pioneering education reforms from outside the system, advising political leaders on education policy, and marshalling the resources of other sectors toward the movement to end educational inequity.
In 2001, London First and Business in the Community, two British business membership organizations dedicated to community involvement, engaged the consulting firm McKinsey & Company to ascertain how businesses could help improve pupil performance in London. Recognizing that teacher quality was one of the strongest predictors of pupil performance, Brett Wigdortz, a member of the McKinsey team, recommended a program targeted at top graduates, using the support of education and business leaders to bring additional excellent teachers into challenging schools for two years. The result was Teach First. Launched in 2002 as a registered charity, Teach First aims to address educational disadvantage in the U.K. by transforming exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields. Under the leadership of CEO Brett Wigdortz, who left McKinsey to found the organization, Teach First has placed nearly 2,000 graduates to teach in challenging secondary schools, working in five regions across England. Teach First Ambassadors (alumni of Teach First's two year Leadership Development programme) are already assuming significant leadership roles in addressing educational inequity.
In 2006 alone, social entrepreneurs from more than a dozen countries sought support from Teach For America or Teach First to create similar organizations that would expand educational opportunity in their respective countries. These individuals were determined to address the problem of educational inequity in their local contexts, and they believed that the Teach For America/Teach First model could have an important short-term impact while serving as a force for long-term change. In response to these requests, Teach For America and Teach First collaborated to found Teach For All, which was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2007 and is now a fully independent organization.
Since its founding, Teach For All has worked to increase and accelerate the impact of the independent social enterprises in its network. Today, the Teach For All network includes organizations in twenty-three countries in Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East, with programs in an additional 10-20 countries expected to join in the next two years alone.
In 2001, London First and Business in the Community, two British business membership organizations dedicated to community involvement, engaged the consulting firm McKinsey & Company to ascertain how businesses could help improve pupil performance in London. Recognizing that teacher quality was one of the strongest predictors of pupil performance, Brett Wigdortz, a member of the McKinsey team, recommended a program targeted at top graduates, using the support of education and business leaders to bring additional excellent teachers into challenging schools for two years. The result was Teach First. Launched in 2002 as a registered charity, Teach First aims to address educational disadvantage in the U.K. by transforming exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields. Under the leadership of CEO Brett Wigdortz, who left McKinsey to found the organization, Teach First has placed nearly 2,000 graduates to teach in challenging secondary schools, working in five regions across England. Teach First Ambassadors (alumni of Teach First's two year Leadership Development programme) are already assuming significant leadership roles in addressing educational inequity.
In 2006 alone, social entrepreneurs from more than a dozen countries sought support from Teach For America or Teach First to create similar organizations that would expand educational opportunity in their respective countries. These individuals were determined to address the problem of educational inequity in their local contexts, and they believed that the Teach For America/Teach First model could have an important short-term impact while serving as a force for long-term change. In response to these requests, Teach For America and Teach First collaborated to found Teach For All, which was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2007 and is now a fully independent organization.
Since its founding, Teach For All has worked to increase and accelerate the impact of the independent social enterprises in its network. Today, the Teach For All network includes organizations in twenty-three countries in Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East, with programs in an additional 10-20 countries expected to join in the next two years alone.