For three decades, Wendy Kopp’s focus has been the same: people over things.
Kopp was just 21 when she started Teach for America, a program that today has placed some 65,000 educators in underserved schools. Those involved are trained to teach in some of the country’s most difficult classrooms — and at school after school, Kopp saw the effects.
Students were learning better. New teachers were growing into leaders. And after their teaching stint was up, nearly 85% of those in the program went to work full-time in education, child services, public health, or other mission-related fields, the organization reported.