By Gabe Bullard, Kentucky Public Radio
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-962215.mp3
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Three eastern Kentucky school districts have agreed to hire Teach for America instructors next fall.
Teach for America places young teachers in impoverished and struggling schools, and about three fourths of the organization's teachers work in cities. The nearest operations are in Nashville and Indianapolis.
Teach for America Appalachia will place 90 teachers in Martin, Floyd and Knox county schools over the next three years. Director Will Nash says he expects the partnership to extend beyond those three years, but not beyond Appalachia.
"Right now we're focused on eastern Kentucky and we're focused on our success there. I think if we are successful and other districts in Kentucky reach out to us, we'll certainly have a conversation with them. But from an organizational standpoint, we're just focused on eastern Kentucky."
Nash says Teach for America was in talks to work in other eastern Kentucky schools, but many districts don't have the money to hire new teachers.
The organization Teach Kentucky places recent college graduates in schools in the Louisville area.