Teach For America San Antonio: 2022-2023 Annual Report

Illuminate Every Learner

2022 - 2023 Annual Report

Our Mission Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a diverse network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate.

Our Vision One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.

Our 2030 Goal To see twice as many children in the communities where we work will reach key college and career readiness milestones indicating they are on a path to economic mobility and a future filled with possibility.

Table of Contents: 06 Our Regional Advisory Board: 2023-2024 07 Our Corps Network 08 Ignite Fellowship Program 09 Our Alumni Network

EduPitch: Educator Edition

11 Our Impactful Partners 12 Our Financials: Fiscal Year 2023 13 Letter From Our Executive Director

“

TFA provided me with a strong support network of educational leaders, teachers, and faculty, which helped me feel more comfortable entering my role as a teacher. The various resources provided by TFA, whether development sessions, study software, or even school supplies, certainly made me feel comfortable tackling many of the responsibilities of being a teacher.

Hector Ramirez (‘23)

06

Dear Friends and Supporters, A light bulb moment is the universal experience of discovery, whether from newfound knowledge or mastering a skill. These moments inspire wonder and gratitude for growth. Picture every learner in our community illuminated by the spark of potential, realizing a choice-filled future, full of opportunity. Our leaders are achieving this in classrooms, on campuses, and in organizations across our region.

In our nine years on the Regional Advisory Board, we've supported nearly 600 corps members, impacting over 40,000 students and families. As former classroom teachers, we are passionate about creating educational opportunities. Today, just as in our teaching days, we witness the unlimited potential of students when given the space to excel—our students’ limitless potential has been the guiding principle of our board service. The past year brought still more change at Teach For America, and we responded with resilience, extending our mission beyond the classroom. Our innovation is made possible by working hand-in-hand with our community, students, and families. These collaborations resulted in programs like the Ignite Tutoring Fellowship and EduPitch. As our term ends, we invite you to consider how an excellent education sparks a life of agency, self-determination, and economic mobility.

Your incredible support has been vital to our journey toward educational excellence & equity. But, our work is far from over. As we step down at the end of 2023 after three full-terms of service on the San Antonio Regional Advisory Board, we are excited to create space for new advocates. We trust in Teach For America's continued success in aksdflj fostering exceptional leaders. Let's unite as a community to ensure every learner's potential is realized—educational equity is not a distant dream but a reality we can create together.

ah

Debor

Aman

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Thank you for your unwavering support and belief in the transformative power of education.

Together, Deborah Amini & Amanda Rivas Teach For America San Antonio Board Members

Our Regional Advisory Board: 2023-2024 Scott Palmer

Cece Frost Griffin

Deborah Amini

Rebecca Hirsch

Board Chair Semi-Retired, Auto Insurance Industry Consultant

Board Vice-Chair Retired, Real Estate Agent

Assistant Vice President for Leadership Strategy, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Chief of Staff, Allcat Claims Service

Private Wealth Advisor, Texas Capital Bank

Amanda Rivas

Director of Externships, St. Mary's University School of Law

Scott Weisberg

Celine Dobbs

Joseph Hoffer

Senior Account Executive, KGBTexas Communications

Managing Partner, Schulman, Lopez, Hoffer & Adelstein

Nancy Gonzalez

Ali Mayahi, PMP

Group Sales Account Manager, Spurs Sports & Entertainment

Sonali Patel

Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo

Consultant Former Chief People Officer, Wendy's

Brenda Zabojnik Associate Director, Executive Search, VACO

07 Our Corps Network This year, we continued our mission of transforming the education system by recruiting the next diverse generation of leaders, working

89

1st & 2nd Year Corps Members

hand-in-hand with students and communities to reimagine the future of learning.

As our new teachers prepared for the school year, they were able to

Students impacted by 2022-23 TFA corps members

~7,000

train in the community they would be serving, for the first time in our organization’s history. By localizing our Pre-Service training, our corps members got to experience teaching in a summer school classroom that mirrors the unique demographics and community contexts of the

89%

of Corps Members Share Backgrounds of Our Students

students

they

would

serve

throughout

their

two-year

commitment and beyond.

To stay responsive to our teachers’ development in a highly evolving environment, we continued to innovate the support we provide by offering customized support to our network of educators, with content-specific and DEI-centered training for

55%

55%

48%

both first- and second-year corps members throughout the school year. TFA San Antonio staff coached corps members one-on-one and connected them with resources as needed. In addition, we provided ongoing professional development and support in focus

Self-Identify as BIPOC

Low Income Background

First in the Family to Graduate From College

areas such as corps member wellness, learning environments, social and emotional learning, special education, leadership, and more.

2022-2023 Placement Partners

Illuminated Teachers Fuel Student Success Addison Davis grew up in Riverside, California with his parents and two siblings. Throughout his secondary education, academic success was expected. While his siblings seemed to thrive in school, he had a harder time achieving. Outside of the classroom he was also on his school’s tennis team until his low GPA disqualified his participation. Faced with the challenges in school and loss of his spot on the tennis team, he began to feel like ‘a statistic’ within the classroom, with teachers that didn’t believe in his potential to succeed.

Despite these challenges, Addison was given the opportunity to attend California State University of San Bernardino and used it as a chance for a new academic start. He approached his schoolwork with laserfocused goals, hard work, ownership, a strong safety net, perseverance, and as a non-traditional student, an earnest desire to succeed. He went on to graduate in four years with a cum laude distinction and a 3.53 GPA, much higher than what he achieved in high school. After achieving his bachelor’s degree, he furthered his education and received his Master’s in Public Administration, being the youngest member and student of color in his cohort, graduating in two years with a 3.59 GPA.

Addison Davis (’23) 8th Grade Language Arts Edgar Allan Poe Stem Dual Language Middle School

His educational journey had peaks and valleys, yet he views it as a road to self-discovery, exploration, and life-long learning. These learnings served as a motivator for him to join the 2023 Corps of Teach For America. Now in San Antonio, Addison enters the classroom every day looking for different ways to capture his students’ attention and draw them to a deeper exploration into Language Arts. He approaches his work with the belief in the immense potential and ability in all students by providing challenging coursework that provides inclusive rigor to each scholar in his class. He is energized by his student’s use of the things they learn in their daily vernacular and the incredible power of highquality teachers in classrooms throughout our city.

Addison approaches his work with the belief in the immense potential and ability in all students by providing challenging coursework that provides inclusive rigor to each scholar in his class

08 The Ignite Fellowship Program 2022-2023 School Year

Our Ignite Fellowship Program (Ignite) doubles down on the support we offer San Antonio students by ensuring they are equipped to meet critical reading and math milestones.

Ignite accelerates learning and fosters belonging with students and schools through customized small-group learning. In our first year locally, Ignite delivered strong results. The program builds on Teach For America’s over 30 years of experience recruiting, developing, and supporting talent and partnering with communities across the country to help students overcome the systemic barriers to an excellent education.

575

Students Impacted

230 8,600+ Fellows (Tutors)

Additional Hours of Learning

98%

of Fellows gained new insights about the state of education and their role in working towards educational equity.

Our Goals: To bridge gaps in reading and math learning, as these are both key determinants of success in secondary education and economic mobility.

To foster student belonging, which translates to an increased likelihood of high school graduation.

To engage early-career college students and develop their educational equity mindsets.

“

"The relationships between students and Fellows contributed to students' overall confidence, academic engagement, and love of reading."

School Partner

”

“The thing that I enjoy most about my tutor is that she takes her time to help us understand the question that she is teaching us.”

Student

Accelerate Learning & Foster Belonging

96%

of students said they felt they belong in Ignite tutoring sessions

95% of students said they enjoyed learning with their Tutor.

09 The Alumni Movement

470+ Alumni

71%

of Corps Members Continue to Work in Education After 2 Years

TFA San Antonio supports our dynamic alumni by providing ongoing professional development, networking opportunities, and talent placement.

After their two-year commitment, TFA San Antonio corps members become alumni committed to improving education for the long term. Our alumni continue to act on their equity-minded values and training and strive for excellence: 81 percent of students within TFA San Antonio alumni principal campuses are economically disadvantaged, and 88 percent of TFA alumniled schools received an A&B rating. At the beginning of the school year, 34 TFA San Antonio alumni were in leadership roles (principals, assistant principals, department chairs) and district administrative-level roles. Fiftythree percent of our alumni leaders identify as BIPOC.

Alumni Professional Development Opportunities The School Leadership Learning Lab

EduPitch: Educator Edition

TFA Alumni Hub

This program allows aspiring principals to develop leadership skills, build their understanding of equity, and become stronger community-centered advocates.

Our annual event accelerates and supports bold, new innovations that expand opportunities for students in low-income communities and address educational inequity in San Antonio.

All alumni have access to this easy-touse platform where they can view career opportunities, register for virtual professional development events, and connect with other alumni through an online director.

EduPitch: Educator Edition Our third annual EduPitch event was a vibrant display of our community coming together in support of innovation for schools across our city. Over 150 community partners, cherished friends, and steadfast supporters came together as TFA alumni pitched campus-based innovations in hopes of winning funding to scale their impact.

Our hearts are full of gratitude for everyone who created a memorable night—enriched with innovation, student performances, and community.

Jacob Wright (San Antonio ’21) won the night's big prize for his project, “The Black Student Union.” Fellow contestants Monica Hernandez, Michelle Herrera, Omaris Rodriguez, and Fiorella Fachini also won funds for their innovations, joining the cohort of 12 previous EduPitch participants and winners.

Save the Date: EduPitch will be held on March 27, 2024. kjh

Over three years, we’ve welcomed hundreds of attendees in support of

17 finalists who were

awarded $35,000.

11 Our Impactful Partners Teach For America San Antonio is deeply grateful for the support of the following individuals, corporations, and foundations that contributed to our efforts in our most recent fiscal year (June 1, 2022-May 31, 2023).

$100,000+

$1,000-$4,999

$999 and Below

Greater Texas Foundation (multi-region support) H-E-B (multi-region support) Texas Education Agency The Greehey Family Foundation The Meadows Foundation (multi-region support)

Beldon Roofing Company Brenda Zabojnik Cece & James Griffin

Jazmine E. Rodriguez Jeff Mayer Jeffrey Block

Claudia Huntington and Marshall Miller Crossvault Capital Management

Jennifer Rodriguez John Garland

KSL Resources, LLC

Julia Durodoye

Nick Garcia Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union Silver Eagle Distributors, L.P. Suzanne & James Goudge Texas Partners Bank Warren Spencer

Kathleen Thomas Kelly Murguia Lily Garcia Mendi Etheredge Monica Hernandez Monica Jazdzewski Nikki McAllister Nila Nieto Paula Sullivan Priscilla Saldivar Wang Rebecca Hirsch Rodrigo Rodriguez Shirley Killgore Steve Edlund Teresa Edlund Veronica Diaz Virginia Boyce William Breslin

$25,000 - $99,999 AmeriCorps: OneStar Corinna Holt Richter and JB Richter Deborah & Rex Amini Mays Family Foundation

$10,000-$24,999 Carla & John Brozovich Cowden Family Charitable Foundation Frost Bank Joan and Herb Kelleher Charitable Foundation Kitty & Scott Palmer Mr. Edward Whitacre Jr. Petty Hefte Family Foundation Scott Weisberg Sue and Bill Balthrope The Hester Corona Family Foundation

$5,000-$9,999 C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc. Elma Dill Russell Spencer Foundation James Adams Joe Hoffer Mr. Kristopher Koch Ruth and John Agather Sandra & Dale Tremblay Sarah Harte Schulman, Lopez, Hoffer & Adelstein LLP Suzanne and Richard Wade

$999 and Below Abigail Morton-Garland Alan Ibrahim Alex Infeld Alyssa Long Amanda Rivas Anna Barron Brian Stackhouse Bryce Hill Candice Towe Celine Dobbs Chrissy Greenhaw Christina & Stephen Lecholop Christy Santo Cristina Flores Damaris Stroker Donna McIlveen Fennelle Guevara Gladys Hernandez Glenn Crist Hannah Taylor Haydee Lecuona

School District Partners Compass Rose Public Schools, Democracy Prep at the Stewart Campus, IDEA Public Schools, KIPP Texas Public Schools - San Antonio, San Antonio ISD, and School Innovation Collaborative.

12 Our Financials: Fiscal Year 2023

5% Individuals Co rpo rat e

Previously Raised

Individua ls

Revenue 8% Corporate n tio a d un o F

4% Foundation 23% State (TEA & Americorps) 8% School Partnerships 2% Federal 31% National Investment

State (TEA & Americorps)

19% Previously Raised

Federal

National Investment

School Partnerships Management, General, & Fundraising Alumni Support

Corps Member Recruitment & Placement

Corps Member Pre-Service Training & Prep

Ignite Fellowship

Expenses 19% Corps Member Recruitment & Placement 14% Corps Member Pre-Service Training & Prep 31% Ongoing Teacher Development & Support 17% Ignite Fellowship 7% Alumni Support 12% Management, General, & Fundraising

Ongoing Teacher Development & Support

13 With great excitement and profound gratitude, I am thrilled to share Teach For America San Antonio’s 2022-2023 annual school year report, characterized by remarkable progress and transformative achievements for our organization and the students we serve. As we reflect on the past year, it is inspiring to see the impact we are making, in partnership with the community, on the landscape of education in San Antonio.

Our first commitment remains to our students, who still feel the effects of educational disruptions following the pandemic. Each of these students needs and deserves access to high-quality academic support tailored to their unique challenges. We know this begins with placing leaders who are passionate about educational equity in classrooms. We rely on our teachers more than ever to help bridge significant learning gaps, even as they face continued mental health concerns and burnout that challenge their longevity in education. Nonetheless, our educators remain committed to transforming our schools, even after completing their two year commitment: 88% of TFA alumni school leaders are leading A/B campuses across San Antonio.

Teach For America invested in several innovations to support our students and educators in the 2022-2023 school year. We doubled down on providing additional support for students through the Ignite Fellowship, our virtual high-dosage tutoring corps. We also continued investing in our annual EduPitch event, illuminating and supporting our innovative alumni educators who go above and beyond for kids.

These innovations are made possible through the support of community partners, like you. While this report focuses on the past school year, we are continuing to cultivate and grow Ignite’s impact and deepen our partnerships with community organizations to empower our students to succeed.

I hope you immersed yourself in TFA’s collective power to put our children on a path to futures filled with possibility. Thank you working alongside us as we celebrate our collective achievements, and joining me in envisioning the endless possibilities that lie ahead as we Illuminate Every Learner.

With hope,

Nick Garcia Executive Director

Thank You

Thank you for your support of Teach For America San Antonio for the 2022-2023 school year. Your support was critical to our organization’s ability to recruit, train, and catalyze corps members and alumni to effect change in public education throughout San Antonio. We plan to continue our efforts to recruit excellent talent into our region, while supporting our growing alumni base in their efforts to improve learning possibilities for economically disadvantaged youth in San Antonio. Your belief in our mission has enabled us to realize great progress in training and developing corps members, driving positive student outcomes, leveraging strategic partnerships, and propelling our alumni leadership and impact in this last academic year.

With you, we can continue to illuminate every learner in our city.

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