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Insights > Teach for America, Entergy Celebrate Education Efforts (Biz New Orleans)
Teach for America, Entergy Celebrate Education Efforts (Biz New Orleans)
08/03/2021
NEW ORLEANS — Teach for America Greater New Orleans and Entergy Corporation are teaming up to celebrate 30 years of commitment to educational excellence for students in the Greater New Orleans area.
Although 2020 marked 30 years of impact for Teach For America Greater New Orleans, the organization delayed the celebration of this milestone because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As Teach for America Greater New Orleans reflects on its 30th anniversary amid the challenges of the past year, I’m also reflective of our learnings over that time,” says TFA GNO Executive Director Joy Okoro. “I’ve seen incredible acts of leadership and a steadfast commitment to creating more equitable systems for our students and families. We need to take this moment to reimagine what education could look like for our kids to continue fueling the incredible progress we’ve seen in Greater New Orleans since 1990.”
The theme that the campaign will explore is “30 Years of Transformation: Service, Solidarity, and Solutions.”
“Teach for America has been one of our strategic partners in education for 20 years for one simple reason: TFA has a proven track record for helping students succeed,” said Patty Riddlebarger, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Entergy Corporation. “In New Orleans, where almost 90 percent of schools are impacted by TFA teachers and leaders, high school graduation rates have increased from 54 to 78 percent, college attendance has increased by 24 percentage points, and academic proficiency gaps between students in Orleans parish and students statewide have been virtually closed. Much work remains to be done, but TFA’s presence has been a critical factor in driving this progress.”
The campaign will spotlight at least 30 voices who will tell the story of transformation in the Greater New Orleans public education system through the TFA GNO “30×30 Transformation” storytelling series. The series begins with a podcast interview with Teach For America and Teach for All founder Wendy Kopp who shares her insights on TFA’s service and impact in Greater New Orleans since she founded the organization in 1990.
“It is really inspiring to me to think about Teach for America’s three decades of service in Greater New Orleans,” said Kopp. “I know you’ll create a truly equitable and excellent education system because so many of the hearts and souls in New Orleans are and have been committed to the work for so long.”
Article originally published by Biz New Orleans.
