Teach for America (TFA) exists to address educational inequity--the stunning reality that in this nation, which aspires so admirably to be a land of equal opportunity, where one is born still largely determines one's educational outcomes. Despite plenty of evidence that children growing up in poverty can do well academically--when given the opportunities they deserve--the stark reality is that the 13 million children growing up below the poverty line are already three grade levels behind children in high-income communities by the time they are 9 years old. Educators believe that the foremost reason for this problem is that children in low-income communities face extra challenges that other children don't face. The situation is compounded by the fact that the schools they attend were not designed to put children facing extra disadvantages on a level playing field with students in other areas. These circumstances persist because the national policies and practices, driven by the national priorities, have not been sufficient to tackle either the socioeconomic challenges or the inadequacies in school systems. At TFA, educators know they can solve this problem because they see evidence in classrooms across the country that when students growing up in poverty are given the opportunities they deserve, they excel. Studies also show that TFA teachers do as well as or better than teachers with traditional certification.