• Teach For America has formed a three-year agreement with Milwaukee Public Schools.
• The nonprofit organization will place at least 30 college graduates in teaching positions throughout MPS each year.
• MPS will pay a salary to Teach For America members during their two-year commitments, with an opportunity for stipends toward educational expenses.

During her four years at Marquette, Kalyn Gigot has learned about social disparities in America. Beginning next fall, the sociology and social welfare & justice double major will get to address problems in public schools right here in Milwaukee.

Last November, Gigot was accepted into the Teach For America program, a nonprofit organization that works to expand educational equality in underfunded schools. In the fall, she will join at least 29 other college graduates in their efforts to improve public education in Milwaukee by teaching.

Gigot, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, is enthusiastic about the opportunity with Teach For America.

"I will be able to incorporate what I've learned (at Marquette) and give something tangible back to the community," Gigot said.

The teachers, or "corps members," will join MPS schools for two-year commitments while enrolling in courses at Marquette or Cardinal Stritch University. They have the option to earn a teacher's license or master's degree, said Garrett Bucks, executive director of Teach For America's Milwaukee branch.

Teach For America has a three-year agreement with Milwaukee Public Schools to place at least 30 corps members in the school system each year, Bucks said.

Over the summer, the teachers will undergo rigorous training at the Teach For America institute in Chicago, Bucks said.

In addition to the MPS salary, the corps members can receive two stipends totaling $9,450 from AmeriCorps, a federal program, Bucks said. The funds can repay student loans or be put toward future educational expenses.

Teachers enrolling at Marquette will train for elementary or secondary education and those at Cardinal Stritch will prepare for special or bilingual education, said Bill Henk, dean of Marquette's College of Education.

Supervisors from Teach For America and Marquette will also provide classroom support for corps members, Henk said.

Acceptance into Teach For America is difficult to obtain, Henk said. Last year's group of corps members had an average GPA of 3.6, and 95 percent held leadership positions in school activities.

Teach For America received a record number of applications last school year, and this year applications have increased 45 percent, Henk said.

"This program is gaining a foothold in the country," Henk said.

Nationally, there are about 6,000 Teach For America corps members currently in initial two-year commitments, Bucks said.

The Urban Institute's CALDER Research Center found that a Teach For America corps member can have three times the impact of a traditional teacher that has three or more years of experience, according to the Teach For America Web site.

The organization was founded 18 years ago by Wendy Kopp as part of her senior thesis at Princeton University. Bucks said Kopp wanted to help change the educational inequities in America.

Teach For America is not expected to solve all the issues with public education in Milwaukee, but it is a "viable and important" approach that will help, Henk said.

Bucks said he believes Teach For America will greatly benefit MPS and Milwaukee.

"MPS will be a huge success, and we'll be a key ally," Bucks said.

Henk said those in the program will be educational advocates for a lifetime, even if they don't stay in the educational field. About 70 percent of corps members stay connected to education in some way, whether as a teacher, a principal or someone involved in shaping educational policy, he said.

Henk said Teach For America gives its corps members job satisfaction and confidence.

"They feel like the work they do is noble," Henk said.

Drew Shick, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, will teach special education courses at an MPS school next fall as part of the program.

Shick said he plans to attend law school after teaching. He said he hopes to impact students and help spread awareness of the problems with public education through the program.

"Hopefully, I can utilize what people have learned in the past, apply it to these situations and help people as much as I possibly can," Shick said.