It’s a thrill for me to be back home in Kentucky, leading Teach For America’s efforts to improve the quality of education for kids in the Appalachian region.  As a corps member, I saw my kids’ potential and tremendous growth, in spite of the challenges of poverty they faced and the low expectations of others.  That experience lit a fire in me to help bring this movement to Kentucky, where we could create similar outcomes for students and communities in eastern Kentucky that have faced deep, entrenched poverty for generations.

Our effort starts this year in Martin, Knox, Whitley and Floyd Counties, areas where up to 85% of school-age kids are growing up in poverty and just one in five kids are deemed by the state to be ready for college or a career after high school.  The reality behind that statistic – that just one in five Eastern Kentucky students finish high school ready for the next step – represents a huge but exciting challenge for our corps members.  

As we work with our partners to bring Teach For America to a new region, we have the opportunity to partner with on-going district initiatives to show others what is possible in eastern Kentucky.  Looking ahead, my hope is that we can not only make major strides toward helping kids in Appalachia build a foundation for life-long success, but also start a broader conversation about how to improve the quality of education across the state of Kentucky.