Is Post-Secondary Education For All Americans? The 1965 Higher Education Act- A Federal Student Loan Fiasco… At Our Expense Part Two

In January 2011, I was offered a Teach For America Special Education teacher position in the Los
Angeles area school system; to begin upon my graduation from Georgia State University with a BS in Psychology in May 2011. Upon receipt of this offer, I was pushed to confirm my acceptance with a two week window. This was actually a contract for a 2 year commitment to work for TFA-Los Angeles (and affiliates) as a Special Education teacher.

Included in this package were Americorps grants. It was explained to me that these Americorps grants were to be awarded for each year of service that I completed with TFA-LA. It turns out that these grants were not actually to be awarded to me. Instead, these Americorps grants were to be given to the CA university that TFA-LA designated for me. This was to be concurrent with my enrollment in a Masters program for Special Education with a credential in Mild/Moderate Disability K-12 in a CA university. I was not inclined to accept this offer because I had indicated a preference for location in TFA Atlanta, to be near my advanced age grandmother (suffering from congestive heart failure).

During this time, I received calls from TFA graduates & alumni extolling the benefits of joining TFA. I did accept and was flown to Los Angeles during spring break of my senior year in early March to take the CA teaching exams (the CBEST and the CSET). The Testing was at my own expense; including an extra test fee because TFA mistakenly registered me several times for the same test. I wasn’t happy about the extra test fee.

Thank you for your time.
See me in my youtube video here: h t t p s ://youtu.be/4cpHCFvP-Gw