Over the weekend, several members of DePauw's alumni community were deeply disappointed in The DePauw editorial board's take on the announcement of Teach For America co-CEO Elisa Villanueva Beard as this year's commencement speaker.
"For an individual's impact to be relatable for many, it must surpass the confines of his or her respective organization" the authors wrote, reflecting on her credentials.
Their words portray a profound misunderstanding of the dire situation in American education and an underestimation of the positive impact TFA is making on students, schools and communities across the country.
We would encourage the authors to pick up any issue of The New York Times and flip to the U.S. section for a peek at the alarming data coming out of America's schools on a daily basis. Of the 16 million American children growing up in poverty, only 8 percent are expected to graduate from a four-year college; compared to nearly 80 percent of students in more affluent areas. Furthermore, a 2009 McKinsey and Company study found that this level of educational inequity has the same economic impact as a permanent national recession.
Thus, we are writing to remind the editorial board that the far-reaching effects of a failing public education system will impact all of us-regardless of our chosen career path-and fixing it will require action from teachers, administrators, parents, and legislators who believe our children deserve better.
Considering that TFA is one of the organizations leading the fight against educational inequity-with 10,000 corps members reaching 750,000 students in low-income communities this year alone - it's hard to think of another DePauw alumnus (of any age) making a more obvious impact outside the "confines of her organization" than Elisa Villanueva Beard.
The authors have much to learn from Ms. Villanueva Beard, who epitomizes the strength of character, focus and social consciousness that it takes to build a meaningful career.
Weeks from now, the Class of 2013 will cross the graduation stage ready to begin their post-DePauw lives. As they do, we urge each graduating senior to take a moment to reflect on their scholastic experience and remember that literally millions of their peers will be absent.
David Dietz '11
Matt Jennings '09, Recruitment Manager at Teach for America