Bayless Elementary teacher Holly Guillmen identifies and explains the use of the contents of the Waterwise home water conservation kit provided to students by the High Plains Underground Water District in Lubbock, Texas, Oct. 17, 2012.
Bayless Elementary teacher Holly Guillmen identifies and explains the use of the contents of the Waterwise home water conservation kit provided to students by the High Plains Underground Water District in Lubbock, Texas, Oct. 17, 2012. Jerod Foster

While exact causes for the precipitous drop in Teach for America applicants are unknown, the decline in the program’s popularity has sparked debate about whether participants are doing more harm than good inside classrooms. The program’s close ties to charter schools, its higher-than-average turnover rate and its short five-week training have left skeptics wondering if it is a viable solution to the national teacher shortage. (The New York Times)

Christine Ayala was a Texas Tribune fellow, focusing on reporting and newsletter production, in 2014 and 2015. Before joining the Tribune, Christine interned for the Austin American-Statesman features...