Profile of the Month - February 2006 Sarah DeGraaf

Sarah DeGraaf, MTC Class of 2005, grew up in Whidby Island, WA.  She graduated from Amherst College in 2005, with a degree in Spanish, and immediately joined the Mississippi Teacher Corps.  Sarah teaches Spanish at Wingfield High School in Jackson.
“I wish that the students had more opportunities,” said Sarah.  “There aren’t enough.  In addition, there is a huge range if abilities amongst my students.  For years, Wingfield was a suburban white school.  With the increase of ‘white flight’ in the last decade the school has transformed, and is now primarily black. There are two sets of teachers.  Older white teachers who have been there for years and then the newer African-American teachers.  Unfortunately there is not much of a community among the staff.”

“One of the successful things I’ve started this semester,” said Sarah, “is a ‘star system.’  I put each student’s name up on the wall.  For every completed assignment they receive a star next to their name.  Even though the kids are in eleventh grade they love it.”

“I enjoy being a part of the Mississippi Teacher Corps,” said Sarah.  “What I really enjoy is discussing various topics as part of our Saturday classes.”

The Mississippi Teacher Corps is the most competitive alternate-route teaching program in the country. It is a two-year program that recruits recent college graduates to teach in critical-shortage areas in the Mississippi Delta, in exchange for a full scholarship for a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi. The program was founded in 1989 by Amy Gutman, a Harvard University graduate student, and Dr. Andy Mullins, then Special Assistant to the State Superintendent of Education. Since 1989 more than 300 participants, reaching an estimated 60,000 students, have taught in critical-needs school districts as part of the Mississippi Teacher Corps.