The New Teacher Project

The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap between poor and minority students and white students, by ensuring that high need students get outstanding teachers. The organization was founded in 1997 to address the growing issues of teacher shortages and teacher quality throughout the country. TNTP partners with school districts and states to implement scalable responses to the most acute teacher quality challenges.

Their Approach:

"TNTP believes that the fundamental structures, policies and institutions that influence teacher quality (from certification providers to district Human Resources offices to collective bargaining agreements) must be re-aligned to maximize teacher quality in high-need schools. TNPT provides school districts and states with a range of services, all of which are designed to increase the concentration of highly effective teachers in high-needs schools. They:

• Create innovative programs that bring high-quality teachers into hard-to-staff schools
• Identify the policy barriers that keep schools from hiring the best teachers possible, and advocate for necessary reforms.
• Work hand-in-hand with school districts and school leaders to staff the lowest-performing schools with excellent teachers
• Develop new and better ways to prepare, develop, and certify teachers for public schools

TNTP services include:

• Teacher recruitment
• School staffing
• Training and certification
• Research and advocacy

The organization's mission: The New Teacher Project partners with educational entities to:

• Increase the number of outstanding individuals who become public school teachers
• Create environments for all educators that maximize their impact on student achievement

Their vision: Once day, our nation's public schools will be thriving organizations that offer all children an excellent education.

TNTP Core Values:

• Foundation- Their work is driven by what they believe to be best for students and their goal of closing the achievement gap. As a disciplined, revenue-generating nonprofit organization, they remain accountable, focused and motivated to meet their goals.
• People- Their people drive their success as a company. They strive to recruit and retain a diverse group of dedicated individuals representing the best talent available. TNPT work to ensure these individuals feel valued and supported, and that they have opportunities to develop and grow.
• Work- TNTP do what it takes to achieve results. They are purposeful in providing high-quality, responsive and innovative services. They endeavor to work in close collaboration with their clients to develop models that challenge the status quo and raise expectations for what is possible in the effort to increase student achievement, and they strive to inform and influence the national dialogue on education policy.
• Culture- They believe in a healthy, productive work environment. They strive for a trusting, supportive culture that emphasizes collaborations and flexibility amongst all staff members. They push themselves to higher levels of performance, they celebrate their successes, and learn from their failures.

Since its founding, TNTP has trained or hired approximately 33,000 teachers, benefited an estimated 4.8 million students, and established more than 70 programs and initiatives in 28 states. For more information please visit The New Teacher Project website.

Inspiration Corporation

Today's feature is  Inspiration Corporation, a Chicago based organization fighting poverty and homelessness, by providing dignity and respect and cultivating self-reliance to the people they serve.

The organization's mission is to "help people who are affected by homelessness and poverty to improve their lives and increase self- sufficiency though the provision of social services, employment training and placement, and housing."

The Inspiration Corporation is formed from the Inspiration Cafe, founded by Lisa Nigro in 1989. The Cafe started as a red wagon delivering meals to the homeless. From there it grew until it opened as a formal restaurant, where homeless men and women can sit down, order from a menu, and be served. 

In 2003, Inspiration Cafe joined forces with The Living Room Cafe, founded by Jennifer Kihm, a former Inspiration Cafe intern. The Living Room Cafe offered meals and supportive services to a community on Chicago's South Side.  The merging of the two organization created Inspiration Corporation. Two years later the organization merged with The Employment Project, founded by Luke Weisberg. The Employment Project provided homeless and low-income Chicagoans with employment training, career counseling and job placement. Together these three organizations have formed one organization to have a greater impact and achieve their shared vision. 

Today Inspiration Corporation serves 2,500 individuals per year, by providing meals, support services, housing, employment preparation, and vocational training and free voice mail - serving as a catalyst for self reliance. 

For more information please visit Inspiration Corporation's website.