Greeley grad Jason Raylesberg will Teach for America

January 20, 2012

Editor’s Note: From an applicant pool of over 46,000 this year, Jason Raylesberg, HGHS Class of 2008, has landed a coveted place with Teach for America.  Starting in September, he’ll teach for two years—whatever subject is needed—in a school with impoverished students in New York City.  NCNOW asked Raylesberg about the application process and why he applied.

Why did you apply to Teach for America?

I am double–majoring in English and Music at Columbia University. I applied to Teach for America (TFA) mainly because of a long-held passion for teaching. In high school I taught saxophone lessons to students at Mount Vernon Elementary School, and at Columbia I am co-Founder and co-President of Musical Mentors Collaborative, Inc., an organization that pairs Columbia students with over 30 underprivileged elementary school students.  These college kids (including the Executive Board) teach one-on-one instrumental lessons while the program provides free tickets to family concerts at the best concert halls in New York and holds workshops for both students and instructors led by Columbia professors, PhD students, and Grammy-winning musicians. I’ve seen through my work with Musical Mentors how powerful and easy it can be to make an incredible difference using resources I and so many students have been blessed with and sometimes take for granted. TFA’s mission is built upon a very similar premise, and I’m really excited to do my best to make an even larger impact over the next couple of years. And I’m especially excited to do so in New York City, a place I’ve come to know and love so much.

How often do the college kids and elementary kids meet?

Lessons are held weekly, ranging from thirty minutes to an hour. At the end of each semester, students perform in a recital.

Will the group continue after you’ve left Columbia?

Yes. We have a phenomenal Executive Board in place for next year, and I plan to continue playing a role in expanding the scope of the program over the coming years.

What was the TFA application process like?

There are three rounds to the process. First, a written application, on which I was prompted to write a personal statement. The second round consists of a phone interview and online activity. The third round is a full day interview where I taught a five-minute lesson, participated in a group activity with other candidates, and had a personal interview. The third round ended up being more fun than I expected.  In it, we had to listen to other candidates’ (fun and interactive) lessons, i.e. to pretend that we were in elementary school, middle school, and high school all over again. It brought me back to those good ol’ Chappaqua school days.

Do you know other teachers in the program?

I have several friends currently in the program, and all encouraged me to apply. So I listened, and am thankful I did.

Will you teach forever, or do you have some other plan?

I’m not quite sure where I’ll stand on future plans in two years, but right now I am considering pursuing a graduate degree in Musicology, Law, or perhaps eventually teaching at the collegiate level.

When does school start and do you know already that you’re teaching here in New York City?

All incoming TFA corps members attend an intensive five-week summer institute which is meant to prepare us for the upcoming school year. For NYC Corps members, that institute begins in late June. I know that I will be teaching in New York City, but I don’t yet know which school.

How are assignments made?  Did you request NYC or was it randomly chosen for you?

Over the months before the new school year, incoming corps members interview with principals of various under-resourced schools in their assigned region. Working with TFA, the principals choose which corps members they want in their school. TFA asks you to put down ten preferred regions on the application, and NYC was my first preference. Fortunately, they granted it to me. 

What subject or grade will you teach?

My assignment is “General Education, Special Education, or ELS” in any grade, K-12. So I could end up teaching almost anything, really, from middle school math to 3rd grade General Education. It depends on which principals are interested in hiring me and which positions are in most demand.

Where did you get the teaching bug?

I admired certain qualities in all of my teachers, from freshman to senior year, and hope to have the same impact on my students that they had on me.  As a teacher, I hope to channel the infectious enthusiasm of Ms. Slavinski, Doc Lucia’s ability to build friendships with his students, and Ms. Breen’s knack for presenting material as clear as can be.