New Haven – On Monday, Lincoln‑Bassett School principal Rosalind Garcia pitched a clear invitation to three incoming Teach For America (TFA) corps members: start your teaching career in New Haven and consider Lincoln‑Bassett as your first assignment.
Campus tour highlights
Garcia’s presentation was followed by a two‑hour tour of two seventh‑ and eighth‑grade classrooms where current TFA corps members Viola Clune and Yana Rankine teach English and math. The visit, organized by TFA Connecticut for two accepted 2027 corps members and a prospective third, also included New Haven Public Schools human‑resource staffers Lisa Flegler and Rolanda Booker.
During the tour, the group observed Clune’s English class and Rankine’s math class, as well as two additional classrooms where Lincoln‑Bassett teachers hosted TFA’s virtual small‑group tutoring initiative, Ignite. Ignite provides online tutoring for up to ninth‑grade math and K‑4 literacy during the school day, pairing students with tutors from across the country.
Principal Garcia’s message
Garcia emphasized the school’s commitment to supporting early‑career educators. She noted recent challenges – vacant positions and a burst sprinkler in August that damaged the community room, STEM lab and two classroom floors – but also highlighted the brand‑new vinyl flooring now installed in the community room.
“Being in education for the past 37 years has taught me a lot beyond the classroom,” Garcia said. “Some of the most excited and involved teachers have been members of TFA.” She added that teachers who see a need in the building often step up to fill it, citing Rankine’s plan to start a STEM after‑school club for middle‑school girls and Clune’s interest in launching a volleyball program.
Incoming corps members share their perspectives
Prospective corps members Stephania Korenovsky, a Yale public‑health graduate student from East Haven, and Gus Renzin, a senior at Yale who previously worked at Troup School, expressed enthusiasm for the Ignite program. Korenovsky observed students working with online tutors and said, “I’d love to have this in my classroom – it seems like a nice start to the day, especially because so many schools prioritize intervention.”
Renzin noted the technical challenges teachers face, such as managing a classroom where students read at different levels, and praised Clune’s ability to balance whole‑class discussion with small‑group online assessments.
Positive outcomes and future plans
TFA senior managing director Sarah Diggs reported that 89 percent of 2024 corps members placed in New Haven Public Schools are still teaching for a third year, underscoring the program’s retention success. NHPS human‑resource director Lisa Flegler said the partnership has helped fill vacancies with strong educators.
Garcia concluded the visit with a final invitation: “When it’s time to make your choices, consider Lincoln‑Bassett – or wherever I am.” The school hopes to bring more TFA corps members to its campus in the coming years, strengthening the city’s effort to provide quality education in under‑resourced schools.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
