Living Our Core Values

Hi everyone,

I was really inspired and interested by the comments and reflections that were brought up during our cohort time. Whether it was Sarah's comment about the "human element" of leadership in the classroom or Cody's story of explaining to his Principal that we have got to change things NOW, I am uplifted to find that we can gain strength from reflecting on our core values. I'd love to hear other reflections or personal connections to the values. Please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts!

Core Values

Teach For America's core values define the beliefs and values that we hope will center the actions of staff members, corps members and alumni as we pursue our collective vision. Our core values are an integral part of our culture and we aspire to live up to them in all that we do.

Transformational change: We seek to expand educational opportunity in ways that are life-changing for children and transforming for our country. Given our deep belief in children and communities, the magnitude of educational inequity and its consequences, and our optimism about the solvability of the problem, we act with high standards, urgency, and a long-term view.

Leadership: We strive to develop and become the leaders necessary to realize educational excellence and equity. We establish bold visions and invest others in working towards them. We work in purposeful, strategic, and resourceful ways, define broadly what is within our control to solve, and learn and improve constantly. We operate with a sense of possibility, persevere in the face of challenges, ensure alignment between our actions and beliefs, and assume personal responsibility for results.

Team: We value and care about each other, operate with a generosity of spirit, and have fun in the process of working together. To maximize our collective impact, we inspire, challenge, and support each other to be our best and sustain our effort.

Diversity: We act on our belief that the movement to ensure educational equity will succeed only if it is diverse in every respect. In particular, we value the perspective and credibility that individuals who share the racial and economic backgrounds of the students with whom we work can bring to our organization, classrooms, and the long-term effort for change.

Respect & Humility: We value the strengths, experiences, and perspectives of others, and we recognize our own limitations. We are committed to partnering effectively with families, schools, and communities to ensure that our work advances the broader good for all children.