Mixed feelings...

I have mixed feelings about this idea.

When I first read it, I said, "Yes! This is great. Alternative certification pathways can create their own degrees. This sounds like it is smart."

But then, I started to think about it. I was lucky to get my Masters while I was teaching. I had an amazing experience at ASU...we learned in cohorts and my cohort really delved into what it meant to collaborate and share experiences. I had some really great professors (and some really out there ones) who taught me SO much about teaching.

I also had a great professor who came into my classroom and focused on myself as an educator and how I could become a better educator.

Now this is different than the TFA way of observing. They observe how you can get more kids to master the objective.

See the distinction? Me vs. kiddos.

And the thing is, you need both. You need TFA giving you feedback on your student achievement data. You need them hounding you. You need their professional development. But man, I'm a better educator because I also had education professors teaching me stuff that TFA glosses over. You know - educational theory, practice, instructing the English Language Learner, how to teach literacy, how to teach social studies, HOW TO TEACH CONTENT IN GENERAL...

Anecdotal evidence: My TFA Program Director, in my first year of teaching, lauded my class and how much work we did, etc. But I was SO frustrated with my afternoon class, I could barely handle it. My ASU professor came in to watch. She noticed that my kiddos craved my attention, whether positive or negative, and would do things to get my attention. Then, we tracked how I gave attention. Then, we diagnosed how to only give positive and not negative attention to my kiddos. Then, we designed a way that this would work. Then, my sanity was restored.

Were the kids learning? Yes. Did my data show growth? Yes. So TFA was happy. Was I ready to pull out my hair? Yes. Was my management where it should be? No. So my ASU professor fixed it. And made me a better educator. :)

TFA cannot give the same education that an education school does. We need both. We need professors who are not from Teach for America, and instead have been great educators for years, and we need TFA to be there with their model that works.

So, sadly, I'm going to have to say that TFA starting a master's program is not something I think is a great idea.