Wendy Kopp ’89, founder and CEO of Teach for America, discussed the importance of recruiting students in promoting education at a forum at Harvard University on Tuesday, the Harvard Crimson reported.
Kopp addressed audience concerns about TFA’s recruiting methods by saying it was necessary for the organization to follow the recruiting techniques of consulting firms and investment banks that continue to attract recent college graduates. She added that TFA’s use of these recruiting techniques has enabled it compete with the law, finance and medicine industries for top graduates.
Some audience members questioned the pace of growth of TFA, and Kopp said she was proud of the rapid growth of TFA. However, she added that maintaining the core values and culture of the organization is a lot more challenging amid the recent growth.
Kopp said the success of TFA should be viewed in perspective, citing the positive effect of TFA’s presence in Oakland, Calif. as an example. She noted that this pattern is occurring across the country and added that she hoped it would continue in the future.