Teach For America will seek out undocumented college graduates who meet the organization’s criteria to become teachers in some of the nation’s most challenged public schools.
In selecting its next batch of recruits for the 2014-15 school year, Teach For America said it would open up its recruitment efforts to include undocumented candidates who were brought to the United States as children by their parents.
To be considered for TFA’s corps, students will have to have “deferred action” status, meaning they’ve sought, and received, temporary work authorization and relief from deportation from federal immigration officials.
“Given our mission to expand educational opportunity, we’re doing everything we can to clear the way for DACA recipients who are eligible to join our corps,” said Elisa Villanueva Beard, co-CEO of Teach For America. “This decision reflects our belief that if you’re brought to the U.S. as a child, you should be able to pursue an education without fear of deportation, and have a path to contribute to American society through achievement in education.”
The Obama administration ordered the deferred action policy more than a year ago for undocumented youth who came to the U.S. before turning 16 and who meet certain education and military service requirements.
The beneficiaries of deferred action, widely known as DREAMers, must meet all the same eligibility requirements of other potential TFA candidates: A minimum 2.5 undergraduate GPA and a bachelor’s degree in hand by June.
TFA accepted into its 2013 corps three DREAMers who had received their deferred action status.
As of the end of August, federal immigration authorities had approved more than 450,000 applications for deferred action, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.