Teach For America Corps Member, Two-Year Teaching Commitment

Why join us?

Today in the United States, 9 year olds living in low-income communities are, on average, already three grade levels behind their high income peers. About half won't graduate from high school, and those that do will perform on average at an eighth-grade level. For the over 15 million children growing up in poverty today, these disparities severely limit life opportunities. You have the power to change this.

Teach For America enlists a diverse corps of leaders who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools as a full-time, salaried teacher and become lifelong advocates in the effort to expand educational opportunity. Our corps members use their numerous skills and experiences from their varied work, leadership, and academic backgrounds to effect change in their classroom and help break the cycle of inequity that prevents students from fulfilling their potential.  

Sign up here to learn more about our program and the application timeline and process. _{The final application deadline for the 2013 corps is Friday, February 15th.}





You are also welcome to attend one of our online events where you can learn more about our program, hear about the experiences of our corps members, and ask questions. More information on these events and how to attend can be found on our website.

What you will do

• Take on an intense personal challenge to address educational inequity in your classroom.
• Attend a rigorous pre-service summer training program designed to build upon and translate your professional skills into your role as a teacher and advocate for your students
• Participate in ongoing professional development to ensure your success as a full-time teacher and beyond. You will also participate in an alternative teacher certification program if you are not certified.
• Set an ambitious vision for your students' academic success, plan purposely, and work relentlessly alongside colleagues and others committed to improving academic outcomes in your school

Where and what you will teach

• Corps members teach across all subjects and grade levels (pre-K through 12).
• Corps members teach in 46 urban and rural regions across the country. We work to meet your preferences while balancing school districts' needs and considering district and state requirements. Click here to view a map of our placement regions.

Is this you?

• A deep belief in the potential of all kids and a commitment to do whatever it takes to expand opportunities for students
• Demonstrated leadership ability and superior interpersonal skills to motivate others
• Strong achievement in professional, extracurricular, academic and/or volunteer settings
• Perseverance in the face of challenges, ability to adapt to changing environments, and a strong desire to do whatever it takes to improve and develop
• Excellent critical thinking skills, including the ability to accurately link cause and effect and to generate relevant solutions to problems
• Superior organizational ability, including planning well and managing responsibilities effectively
• Respect for individuals' diverse experiences and the ability to work effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree, minimum 2.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA
• Citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States
• No education coursework or certification required: candidates of all professional backgrounds, academic majors, and career interests encouraged to apply

What are the benefits?

• Full salary, comprehensive health insurance, and retirement benefits from your school district. Salary ranges from $30,000 to $51,500, depending on where you teach
• Intensive training, ongoing support, and career development as a corps member and alum, including development of leadership, communication, management, and problem solving skills, among others
• Develop lasting relationships and build a network of colleagues and friends that will provide you with support both during your corps experience and for many years to come
• AmeriCorps benefits: education award of up to $11,100, loan forbearance and paid interest for two years on qualified student loans
• Eligibility for $1,000 - $6,000 of no-interest loans or grants for relocation and transition expenses, as well as exclusive scholarship and benefits from grad schools and employers

About Teach For America

Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding individuals of all academic disciplines to commit two years to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. This fall more than 10,000 corps members will be teaching in 46 urban and rural regions across the country, while nearly 28,000 alumni work across sectors to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.