Commentary: Teaching for America

Last year, I was lucky enough to have been selected as Corp Member for Teach for America, a non-profit organization that places teachers in high need schools throughout the United States. My placement is in the Mississippi Delta, a region that has experienced long-standing high poverty, low graduation, and very poor college admission rates. Here, I have taught English to some wonderful students at Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, Mississippi. Unfortunately, many of these students are years behind grade level in a variety of subjects and often do not have the resources or opportunities that I was fortunate enough to receive in Healdsburg.
Last year, I received an overwhelming outpouring of support from my hometown, and to say I was thankful is a major understatement. A large part of this support was through book donations allowing me to create a tremendous classroom library for my students and spark a passion for reading. This was thanks to countless community members who donated both new and used books, and the generous support of my past employer, Bell’s Ambulance, and their employees who donated both time and money to get dozens of boxes sent to me here in Mississippi. Such support allowed my students to make incredible gains in both reading and writing, and was a major factor in me being honored as the Teacher of the Year, not to mention showing my students and me the importance of community and compassion.
This year, as I continue to teach English, I am also tackling a new challenge of supporting my students in creating the school’s very first newspaper. I know that having students write, produce, and be invested in such a project could be a major factor in getting them to stay in school and possibly move forward with these skills into college. Unfortunately, I know far too well the effects of apathy and poor investment in school. Without genuine support and engagement many students risk leaving school and very possibly giving up on themselves.
Such a task can seem harrowing, but with the energy and excitement my students have already shown, I cannot help but lying awake at night with anticipation to get this project off the ground. Unfortunately, just enthusiasm will not be enough to create such a paper. I am again reaching out to my hometown community for support. To make this dream a reality, large overhead costs are necessary that neither my school nor myself can afford including: software, cameras, and the start-up funds to simply print the paper. I know I have asked a lot from Healdsburg over the years, but I can assure you any assistance would be whole heartedly appreciated by me and my students, and it could not go to more deserving students in a more deserving place.
If you would like to help our newspaper, or you would like further information, please contact me at Cr*************@gm***.com.
Sam Crenshaw grew up in Healdsburg and is an English teacher with Teach for America in Mississippi.