Hal Turner

TURNER: Teach for the American dream

Even though I come from a family of educators, I would have never learned the extent to which educational injustices occur on a daily basis throughout this country if I had not seen it for myself as a Teach for America teacher in New Orleans. Some of my students came into the sixth grade not knowing how to read and write. I worked with students with severe behavioral challenges that prevented them from performing in the classroom and made every day a constant struggle to achieve. I worked with students who fought to stay awake in class because of malnutrition or issues at home. I worked with students whose lives were governed by gang violence. While this was the most challenging work I’ve ever done, it was also the most satisfying. Not all TFA teachers seek out a lifelong career in teaching, but everyone comes away with a lifelong commitment to helping students gain access to quality education.