In response to the growing disparity between Americans who have modern, functional water and sewer systems in their homes and those who don't, a new organization has taken on the challenge: Plumb for America.
Plumb for America (PFA) has a very simple goal: to bridge the "plumbing gap" that keeps low-income urban and rural Americans from enjoying the same high-quality plumbing that middle and upper-class America takes for granted.
The strategy they use to pursue that goal, however, is quite unique. They take bright, energetic college graduates and put them through an intense, five-week "summer institute." The institute is designed to give them a background of basic plumbing techniques and concepts. From there, these "plumbers" are placed around the country, into areas where the plumbing is sub-standard and where experienced plumbers with traditional training are hard to find.
PFA plumbers agree to serve for two years, during which time they are supported by PFA coaches who help them solve some of the problems that come up in their work. PFAs get the same wages as journeymen plumbers, along with up to ten thousand dollars in college-debt relief.
They also get to "Make a difference," according to Pat Wabash, who recently graduated from Cornell University with a BA in Romance Languages, "I really wasn't sure what I was going to do when I graduated, but PFA has given me a chance to get some valuable work experience. Who knows, I might even decide to keep plumbing after my two years are up!"
Results have been mixed. Some homeowners are taken in by the enthusiasm and "can-do" attitude PFAs bring to the job site. "We had a PFA guy come out here last week to fix our toilet," said Mark Loftus, from Detroit, "It wouldn't stop running. He brought a bunch of tools in, along with some pipes and other gear, and after three hours he figured out that the little rubber flapper at the bottom of the tank was leaking. He put in a new one, and what do you know; it stopped running!"
PFA intentionally places its plumbers in so-called "high-needs" areas; places where most plumbers are reluctant to set up business. "It's been awhile since we've seen any plumbers in this part of Detroit," says Loftus, "Without PFA, I would have had to fix that toilet myself."
Other customers have had less positive experiences. Becky Winthrup, from Dalton, Georgia called upon PFA to renovate the hot water system in her turn-of-the-century farmhouse. "This gal shows up, she must of been twenty-one, twenty-two years old, around 4:30 in the morning, just raring to go. She tears out all the old plumbing and starts replacing it with 2-inch PVC tubes. Now I'm no plumber, but I've never heard of anyone using 2-inch PVC for their hot water supply, so I asked her about it. She got kind of defensive and told me that PFA encourages them to 'think outside the box' and use their imagination when solving problems."
What started out as a simple renovation turned into a three-month nightmare for Winthrup, who lives on a fixed income. The new hot water system had almost no pressure and began to leak from the beginning. "I had to get a real plumber to come in and re-do it correctly with half-inch pipe. It ended up costing me a fortune. And when I contacted PFA, they told me that the plumber who did the original work quit to go back to grad school and they couldn't do anything about it. They did apologize, though, and that was nice."
Despite their uneven record, PFA is expanding into new areas, thanks in part to a generous grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. They're currently trying to place 50 plumbers in the Seattle area, even though the region is flooded with well-trained plumbers who can't find jobs.
Steve Milner, from the Seattle Area Pipe and Steamfitters Association, complains, "For every job that opens up, we've got at least 800 applicants, every one of whom has completed a legitimate two-year apprenticeship program. And now we've got these kids from PFA. They think they know what they're doing after a five-week course. They want to come in here, take these jobs for two years and then leave? I don't get it."
And neither do I.
Good point, Brian. But I’m not sure how teaching poorly for two years helps a resume. My guess is that most TFAs are sincere in their motivation, but quickly find themselves way over their heads.
Which makes me wonder: why is it that those who criticize American education in general (and the teachers’ unions in particular) for creating the conditions that place inexperienced teachers into the toughest classrooms are the same people who advocate for TFA, which places the most inexperienced “teachers” into the toughest classrooms?
I guess I’m a little more suspicious than you, Tom. I would want to hear a TFA explain what their motivation was before I would grant them respect. If they are just building the resume, nope. But if they are curious about the challenges and demands of orchestrating learning in a public school classroom, then by all means. Maybe they will at least become proponents for public education after their hiatus is over.
I have nothing but respect for TFA teachers, but I think the program itself is flawed. If someone wants to be a teacher, great; take the time to learn how to do it correctly, get out there and go for it.
Teaching is not a “service activity.” It’s a serious career for serious professionals. There’s a skillset and knowledge base that you simply have to acquire before you can do it correctly.
Ouch. I am kind of getting tired of hearing how TFA has all the answers, though. There are certainly many wonderful TFA teachers. However, what seems to happen is that those people (typically young, often single, likely idealistic, often hard working) are exploited and martyred and too often chewed up and spit out by a system which their hearts lead them to serve. One cannot necessarily sustain the kind of ascetic dedication that TFA seems to expect (or which communities seem to tend to expect from TFA staff).
On the other hand, I remember looking for ways to augment my resume as a HS student and undergrad. Yep, sorry to say, serving meals at the homeless shelter was 80-85% about building my resume. I wonder if TFA isn’t the same for some. I also wonder if maybe our colleges are just churning out too many grads with soft degrees and nothing else to do… my undergraduate degree is in English (not Ed), though I went on to a good MAT program and gained training and experience. Unfortunately, I found there was not much I could do with just a BA in English… luckily teaching happened to be my calling all along, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself (my dad is a teacher, so it was some kind of denial/rebellion on my own part).