Teach for America is a national nonprofit organization that recruits college graduates for two-year teaching assignments. The program is designed to help poor schools.
According to a teacher advocate, the recruits lack experience and teaching experience. However, according to a school district official, some of the recruits will be replacing poor performing teachers.
Also, district officials said some of the teachers are losing their jobs because their function was eliminated and not because they were poor performers.
More than 400 teachers are scheduled to get layoff notices this month, but may be recalled to work if the 2009-2010 budget improves.
There are more than 200 Teach for America recruits already in the Charlotte school system and they earn the same $34,385 a year starting pay as other teachers.
