Categories:

General FAQ

4-8th Program

7-12th Program

Clinical Instructors (mentors)

General FAQ

• What is "teacher residency"?
  Teacher residency is an exciting new concept in teacher recruitment, preparation, and support. It is a method of recruiting teachers for hard-to-fill positions and giving them a strong year of “on-the-job” training, similar to a medical residency, so that they can hit the ground running when they become responsible for their own classrooms. It works to prepare a new kind of teacher from inside the classroom.
• Why will a teacher residency program be successful at finding strong math and science teachers?
  We’re looking for individuals who love math and science. Given those interests, such individuals typically pursue math and science in college rather than a teaching degree. But it’s often the case that they decide they’d like to share this love of math and science with children. Currently, they can do that through an alternative teaching certificate, but this route essentially throws them into sudden, full responsibility for a classroom with very little preparation – and they have to go to school at night to gain certification at the same time that they are wrestling the challenges of classroom planning, grading papers, and learning how to teach! The difficulties of this approach are a deterrent to many people. Teacher residencies offer a much stronger method of giving a teacher the training, experience and support needed to take effective responsibility for a classroom.
• What is the role of PEF?
  The Public Education Foundation serves as the coordinating nonprofit group and as the fiscal agent for other private funding sources. The Teach/Here director and the recruiter will reside at PEF.
• What is UTRU?
  Urban Teacher Residency United (UTRU) is a national not-for-profit network of urban teacher preparation programs. There are currently 17 teacher residency programs in the network, spanning the country from coast to coast. UTRU serves this ever-growing network by partnering with school districts, institutions of higher education, and not-for-profits to develop and support strong residencies, and by offering relevant and high-quality programming and services, advocacy support, and evaluation. TEACH/Here is a proud member of this wonderful organization.

4-8th Program

• Who is eligible to participate in the TEACH/Here grades 4 through 8 program?
  Eligible applicants must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university received by June of the year of application. Candidates must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. All residents must be U.S. Citizens or hold permanent resident status. Though candidates need not necessarily hold a degree in mathematics, all successful applicants must be able to demonstrate mastery of mathematics content knowledge. Candidates should have academic experience in mathematics or in a mathematics-focused discipline or have professional experience in a math-related field.
• Do I need to take the Praxis exam?
  If your undergraduate degree is not in math, you will need to take the Praxis II math subject assessment. For more information about this test, please visit http://www.ets.org/praxis.
• Do I need to take the GRE or GMAT?
  Yes, taking the GRE or the MAT is required for admission to Tennessee Technological University’s College of Education’s graduate programs.
• Where will I be teaching?
  TH MATH residents will serve in Hamilton County Title I urban schools. They will teach full-day mathematics to students in grades 4 through 8.
• Will I teach subjects other than math?
  No, TH MATH residents will teach only full-day mathematics to students in grades 4-8.
• What is the living stipend during the residency year?
  TH MATH residents will receive a living stipend of $15,000 during the residency year. This stipend is made possible by a Tennessee Department of Education Teacher and Principal Residency grant.
• What is the role of Tennessee Technological University?
  Tennessee Technological University is the higher education partner for the TH MATH program. Tennessee Tech faculty members work with TEACH/Here staff and representatives of the Hamilton County Department of Education to design and plan resident coursework. In order to successfully graduate from the TH MATH program, residents must satisfy all Tennessee Tech master’s degree program requirements.
• Will I pay tuition?
  Yes, residents are responsible for tuition costs. For more information on tuition and fees at Tennessee Tech, please visit http://www.tntech.edu/bursar/fees. Once you have taught in a Title 1 school for a total of five years, you will be eligible for loan forgiveness through the federal Stafford Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/cancelstaff.jsp
• What happens if I have to leave the program?
  If a resident leaves the program without completing the residency year and four additional years of teaching in the district, he or she becomes ineligible for federal loan forgiveness.

7-12th Program

• Who is eligible to participate in the TEACH/Here grades 7 through 12 program?
  Eligible applicants must have an undergraduate degree in a STEM field from an accredited college or university received by June of the year of application. Candidates must also have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. All residents must be U.S. Citizens or hold permanent resident status.
• What is a "STEM" degree?
  STEM fields are the sciences, technology, engineering, and math. Accounting, business administration, anthropology, and economics are not STEM degrees.
• Do I need to take the GRE or GMAT?
  No, you do not need to take the GRE or the GMAT.
• What is the role of the University of Tennessee Knoxville?
  The University of Tennessee Knoxville is the higher education partner the TH STEM program. Representatives from UT Knoxville work with the TEACH/Here Steering Committee to design and plan resident coursework. UT faculty members also work with the Tennessee Department of Education to ensure that the program curriculum meets all state requirements for teacher licensure. In order to successfully graduate from the TH STEM program, residents must complete all UT master’s degree requirements. TEACH/Here STEM residents are fulltime students of the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. As such, they are eligible for all of the services offered to UT graduate students. And yes, this includes access to football tickets!
• Where are TEACH/Here UT courses held?
  Many TEACH/Here UT courses are held at the Sarah Simpson Professional Development and Technology Center in Knoxville. Chattanooga residents most often attend coursework during the school year via video conference, though all residents meet together at least once a month. Summer coursework is conducted in person with all residents assembling in either Knoxville or Chattanooga. Residents may be reimbursed for all required travel between Knoxville and Chattanooga.
• What happens if I have to leave the program early?
  If a resident leaves the program without completing the residency year and four additional years of teaching in the district, he or she is responsible for repaying the stipends received from the National Science Foundation.
• What is the National Science Foundation?
  The National Science Foundation (NSF) is a United States government agency that supports research and education in the sciences. NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program seeks to encourage talented STEM majors to become K-12 math and science educators.
• What is AmeriCorps?
  AmeriCorps, a division of the Corporation for National and Community Service, is a federal community service program. More than 85,000 individuals join AmeriCorps each year. TEACH/Here is a proud member of AmeriCorps’ Team Tennessee. For more information on the benefits of AmeriCorps service, please visit http://www.americorps.gov.

Clinical Instructors (mentors)

• Am I guaranteed a resident each year?
  No, it is not guaranteed that each eligible clinical instructor will be assigned a resident each year. When you apply, you are placed in a pool of possible clinical instructors. Only those clinical instructors who are best matched to the current year’s cohort of residents will be assigned residents.
• I served as a clinical instructor this year. Do I have to reapply for next year?
  Successful clinical instructors need not reapply each year. However, you must give notice of your desire to continue in the program by January 31st of each school year. Please contact the TEACH/Here Director for more information.
• How can my principal learn more about TEACH/Here?
  Principals are encouraged to become active participants in the TEACH/Here learning community. In fact, principals are invited to all clinical instructor and resident seminars and workshops. For more information, please contact a TEACH/Here staff member.

The Partnership

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  Knox County Department of Education

  The Knox County Schools will be a system where all students achieve at high levels and every school is a school of distinction. Children will begin their education at an early age, and high quality instruction, rigorous curriculum, and high standards will permeate the educational landscape from early education to graduation.

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  Hamilton County Department of Education

  Our mission at Hamilton County Schools is to educate all students to their highest potential. We believe in success for all students and have turned the corner in student achievement. We continue to focus on helping students succeed, enhancing staff development and increasing community support. In doing so, we are investing in the future of Chattanooga and Hamilton County.

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  University of Tennessee Knoxville

  The University of Tennessee Knoxville intends to be the preeminent public research and teaching university linking the people of Tennessee to the nation and the world.

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  Public Education Foundation

  The mission of the Public Education Foundation (PEF) is to improve student achievement in Hamilton County public schools so that all students succeed in learning and in life.

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  Tennessee Technological University

  Tennessee Technological University's mission as the state's only technological university is to provide leadership and outstanding programs in engineering, the sciences, and related areas that benefit the people of Tennessee and the nation.

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  Urban Teacher Residency United

  By preparing a new kind of teacher inside the classroom – providing the practical learning, the hands-on experience and the support network they need to be effective right away – Urban Teacher Residency United (UTRU) and its local programs are building a real movement for education reform from the ground up.
  
  Statistics show that 85% of all Residency graduates stay in their schools beyond those crucial first three years, reducing the high teacher turnover rates that cost districts millions and leave students in the dark.

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  National Science Foundation

  The NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program seeks to encourage talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors and professionals to become K-12 mathematics and science teachers.
  

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  AmeriCorps State

  The largest of AmeriCorps programs, AmeriCorps State and National provides funds to local and national organizations and agencies committed to using national service to address critical community needs in education, public safety, health and the environment.
  

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  First to the Top

  Tennessee has a vision to lead the nation in the development of a skilled workforce educated and trained by world-class teachers, leaders and schools comprising the strongest and most responsive public education system in America.

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  100Kin10

  100Kin10 is a multi-sector mobilization that responds to the national imperative to prepare, deploy, and support 100,000 excellent STEM teachers over the coming 10 years. Partners, including but not limited to corporations, school districts, museums, institutes of higher education, foundations, federal agencies, professional associations, states, and nonprofit organizations, apply their particular assets to creatively and strategically address the challenges of increasing the supply of excellent STEM teachers, developing and retaining excellent STEM teachers, and building the 100Kin10 movement.

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