"I came to Nashville not to bring inspiration but to gain inspiration from the great movement that has taken place in this community." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

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How to Apply

Eligibility

Nashville Teaching Fellows is a highly-selective alternative route to teaching program designed for outstanding individuals dedicated to impacting student achievement in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. Teaching Fellows will teach math, chemistry, biology, Exceptional Education, middle school (general content), Spanish, ELL, elementary education, and English. To apply, candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements.  No previous coursework in education or teaching experience is required.  

You must possess a bachelor's degree. Candidates who either hold a bachelor’s degree or who are currently completing their bachelor's degree coursework from an accredited university and expect to have the degree awarded no later than June 2011 are eligible to apply.  Please note that a bachelor's degree is a requirement for licensure.

Graduates of foreign universities must have their transcripts evaluated by an approved agency.  When requesting an evaluation, be sure that the agency specifically states that you have received the U.S. equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in your subject area AND provides a full listing of your coursework.  Applications that include foreign transcripts will not be reviewed until the completed evaluation has been sent to the Fellows office.  Graduates of foreign universities must have their transcripts evaluated by one of the following two foreign credential evaluation agencies, recognized by the Tennessee Department of Education, prior to applying:

Joseph Silny & Associates, Inc.
World Education Services

Your undergraduate GPA must be 2.75 or higher. Individuals must possess a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher from the institution from which they received their bachelor's degree.  There are no exceptions to this requirement.  Candidates with a GPA that is below 3.0 will have the opportunity to address any issues relevant to their academic performance by including a brief statement in the online application.

If your undergraduate GPA is below 2.75, unfortunately, you are not eligible for the program.  We often hear from candidates who have lower undergraduate GPAs who have shown achievement in other areas both professionally with work experience, and academically with graduate degrees or further academic study.  However, our requirement is based on Tennessee's teacher licensing standards and Nashville Teaching Fellows cannot make any exceptions.  Individuals with lower GPAs may be able to pursue a teaching license through other licensure programs.

You must be eligible to work in the United States. Applicants must be able to present proof of legal work status in order to become employees of the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

You cannot be a current district or fully-licensed teacher. Current district teachers, as well as teachers already in possession of their teaching licensure/certification from Tennessee or any other state, are not eligible for the Fellows program. For more information about teaching positions for candidates who already hold their initial or professional licensure, please refer to the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Employment website.

You must meet coursework and testing requirements for your subject area.  The goal of the Teaching Fellows program is to find outstanding new teachers who will enter their classrooms as highly qualified new educators.  Therefore, candidates must meet coursework and testing requirements according to state, district, and licensure program guidelines for the subject they wish to teach before they begin teaching.

Fellows will teach in math, chemistry, biology, Exceptional Education, middle school (general content), Spanish, ELL, elementary education, and English classrooms—the greatest areas of need in the district.  Eligibility requirements vary by subject. Although no specific coursework or credit hours are required to be eligible to apply to teach math, science, Spanish, or English, candidates interested in teaching these subjects must have strong content knowledge in order to take and pass the required Praxis II Subject Assessment. Typically, candidates interested in teaching these subjects will have an academic major or the equivalent in relevant coursework, or significant relevant professional experience.  Candidates interested in teaching Exceptional Education, English as a second language (ELL), middle school (general content), or elementary education must also be prepared to take and pass the required Praxis II Subject Assessments.  In addition, relevant coursework or experience is preferred.  See table below for more details.  Please keep these eligibility requirements in mind when stating your subject area preferences on your online application. Before final acceptance into the program, candidates must submit official transcripts so that course credits and GPA may be verified. (Please visit Apply Now page for more detail.) These requirements are non-negotiable.

Beyond the specific coursework eligibility requirements for each subject area listed below, Fellows are responsible for registering for, studying for, and passing the appropriate Praxis II subject area-specific exam.  Participation in the Teaching Fellows program is contingent upon passage of this required test, and passing scores must be on file with the Fellows office before the start of the summer Training Institute.   Candidates should wait to register for the Praxis II until they have submitted their online application and have received specific, individualized direction on the appropriate Praxis II subject examination for their candidacy from the Fellows program office.  For important dates and more information about registering for the exams, be sure to review the Testing Requirements section of this website. 

Subject Area- Specific Coursework & Testing Requirements

Candidates Invited to Interview for a Position Teaching: Must Meet the Following Coursework Requirements: Must Meet the Following Testing Requirements:
Math

Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in math; strong content knowledge in math or relevant content area.

 

Passing score on Praxis II: Mathematics (#0061) 

Chemistry

Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in chemistry; strong content knowledge in chemistry or relevant content area.

 

Passing score on Praxis II: Chemistry Content Knowledge (#0245)
Biology

Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in biology; strong content knowledge in biology or relevant content area.

Passing score on Praxis II: Biology Content Knowledge (#0235)
Spanish

Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in Spanish; strong content knowledge in Spanish or relevant content area. Fluency in English and Spanish.

 

Passing score on Praxis II: Spanish:  World Language (#5195)
English

Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in English; strong content knowledge in English or relevant content area.

Passing score on Praxis II: English Language, Literature, and Composition Content Knowledge (#0041)
English Language Learners (ELL)

Bachelor’s degree in any area; strong content knowledge in linguistics, language acquisition, and/or experience teaching English highly preferred.

 

Passing score on Praxis II: English to Speakers of Other Languages (#0361)

Exceptional Education Bachelor’s degree in any area; no specific coursework required.  Work with children or adults with special needs highly preferred.

Passing score on Praxis II: Middle School Content Knowledge (#0146)

AND

Passing score on Praxis II: Special Education: Core Knowledge and Mild to Moderate Applications (#0543)

 
Middle School (General Content) Bachelor's degree in any area; no specific coursework required.

Passing score on Praxis II:  Middle School Content Knowledge (#0146)
Elementary Education Bachelor’s degree in any area; no specific coursework required.

Passing score on Praxis II: Elementary Education Content Knowledge (#0014) (paper based)

OR

Passing score on Praxis II:

Elementary Education Content Knowledge (#5014) (computer based)

With careful review of these eligibility requirements, Teaching Fellows candidates will benefit from a streamlined application and selection process and, if selected, will have the opportunity to participate in an intensive Training Institute this summer before embarking on a new career in education.

You must report any criminal records on your application.  Nashville Teaching Fellows are subject to district and state policy with regard to criminal records. Therefore, candidates who indicate that they have a criminal record on their application may be ineligible to teach in the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools through the Nashville Teaching Fellows program according to district and state level certification guidelines.

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