Needs
Our work in CCV begins with great teaching–we annually train and support alumni educators working in the region’s highest-need communities. The majority of our local TFA alumni work in education, including 150 K-12 teachers, 21 mid-level school leaders, and 15 principals, affecting the lives of an estimated ~20,000 students daily. Beyond the classroom, our leadership network, over 570 alumni locally and 68,000+ nationwide, advances change through policy, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership, demonstrating how classroom‑grown leaders sustain impact across sectors.
To harness this collective power, TFA CCV set a clear 2030 goal: double the number of students in Sacramento who read on grade level by third grade. Third grade literacy is a critical milestone that predicts future academic success and economic mobility. It is more than a benchmark; it marks the transition from learning to read to reading to learn, shaping a child’s ability to access all other subjects. Literacy opens doors to participation, communication, and opportunity, from solving math problems to engaging in civic life; without it, those doors remain closed.
Our strategy to achieve this goal focuses on three priorities: attracting and retaining exceptional school leadership, providing access to evidence-based literacy practices in classrooms and schools, and collaborating with and supporting local coalitions committed to third-grade reading. We bring this strategy to life through three key programs.
Ignite, Teach For America’s national tutoring corps, accelerates learning through virtual, small-group tutoring. Ignite tutors customize elementary reading or middle school math learning objectives with students and are supported by a school-based veteran educator. TFA CCV partners with two elementary schools, where Ignite Fellows work directly with students to close academic learning gaps.
Summer Reading Camp: To address the region’s literacy gap, TFA CCV launched our Summer Reading Camp in 2023. This high-quality, Science of Reading-based program is designed to close foundational literacy gaps through our fun reading-focused curriculum while providing professional development for educators.
TFA CCV’s School Leadership Lab is a year-long program that provides leadership development, coaching, and instructional support to school leadership teams. The Lab partners with school leaders and their teams to co-create professional development and coaching experiences that improve teachers’ instructional practices and elevate student achievement.