Wendy Kopp: The Teacher Trainer
Teach for America, the once maverick program that quickly trains outstanding college graduates to be teachers, turns 20 this year, and some of the first students taught by TFA members are now in the corps themselves. Although it is still derided by critics as a marginal, unscalable organization, the alternative-certification program that Kopp founded actually places more teachers in U.S. schools (and with better results) than any other preparation program or college. Meanwhile, its nearly 20,000 alumni, two-thirds of whom remain working full time in education after their initial two-year commitment, can be found in school systems and education nonprofits across the country. The group's 20th birthday, coupled with its growing network of alumni, means that TFA and Kopp, who is about to publish a new book and is becoming more vocal on school-reform issues, will be in the news a lot this year.