Frequently Asked Questions
Teaching in Nashville
What does a typical day look like?
Once I am a full time teacher, will I teach over the summer?
What part of Nashville will I be teaching in?
How safe are the schools?
I am interested in teaching exceptional education but nervous about that type of job. What does it really mean to teach exceptional education?
How long is the commitment?
Why should I become part of Nashville Teaching Fellows?
Licensure
What does "alternative licensure" mean?
What do I need to do to receive state licensure?
What exams will I need to take?
Why do I have to register for the Praxis exam before my interview?
Can I receive a waiver or exemption from the subject area exam, based on my undergraduate coursework or professional experience?
How much will my licensure courses cost?
Qualifications
What type of person is a good candidate for Nashville Teaching Fellows?
How do I know if I am eligible for Nashville Teaching Fellows?
Am I eligible if I have no prior teaching experience or prior coursework in education?
Are individuals who have substituted in Nashville eligible for the program?
Why aren't licensed teachers eligible to apply, and what should they do to start teaching in Nashville?
What if I don't have a 2.75 GPA?
Do I need to be a resident of Nashville to apply?
Application Process
How do I apply to become a Teaching Fellow?
Can I include letters of recommendation with my application?
Do I need to send transcripts with my application?
What happens after I submit my application?
What happens during an interview event?
When and where do interviews take place?
Do I have to interview in Nashville?
What is the application deadline?
How can I get more information?
Admission and Enrollment
I applied to the program but wasn't accepted. Can I appeal the decision on my application?
Can I defer acceptance into the program?
Can I re-apply to the program next year if I am not accepted?
I meet all of the Teaching Fellows eligibility requirements. Why wasn't I accepted?
When does the program actually begin?
Your Teaching Position
What will I be teaching?
How do I know what subject I am qualified to teach?
Where will I be teaching?
How does the process of securing a school placement work?
Can I choose where I will teach?
When will I know where I will be teaching?
Can I change schools after I have started teaching?
Training and Resources
Once I become a Fellow, how will I be prepared for the classroom?
How intensive is summer training?
How long is summer training?
Will I be paid for training?
How will I be evaluated during training?
What kind of ongoing resources and connections are available to Teaching Fellows?
How are Fellows evaluated once they are in the classroom?
Compensation and Benefits
What is the starting salary for Nashville Teaching Fellows?
What employment benefits do Fellows receive?
Teaching in Nashville
Schools days are typically about seven and a half hours long; however, class schedules may vary from school to school. Teachers also spend time outside the classroom preparing lessons and grading schoolwork. Fellows will attend professional development sessions or faculty meetings after school hours, in addition to licensure coursework. A teacher's first year is incredibly intense, regardless of his or her background or preparation. Fellows should be prepared to work long hours.
Fellows will participate in an intensive summer training program before entering their classrooms for the first time. Review the Training & Resources section for more details. However, once you secure a full-time teaching position, you would not be required to teach over the summer. Many teachers elect to teach summer school.
Nashville Teaching Fellows are encouraged to interview to teach in high-need schools, typically with records of low academic achievement, and in high-need subject areas in which the district typically has difficulty filling positions. During the district hiring process, Fellows will interview with many schools and principals, and they have control over where they interview. However, we ask Fellows to be flexible and interview to teach where they are needed most within the city of Nashville, regardless of neighborhood. For more information, review the Securing Your Teaching Position page of this website.
We believe our schools are safe. We encourage concerned candidates to visit the areas in which they may teach during a regular school day to determine their own level of comfort with the environment.- I am interested in teaching exceptional education but nervous about that type of job. What does it really mean to teach exceptional education?
Exceptional education (also known as special education) is designed around the concept of individualized curriculum to provide greater support for certain students. One of the most exciting aspects of teaching exceptional education is the opportunity to be both advocate and teacher. While teachers are first and foremost responsible for academic goals, they also work to develop a positive school environment for students with special needs. The best way to get a sense of what it means to teach in an exceptional education class is to talk to a teacher or visit a classroom. Applicants should also familiarize themselves with the basic information available in the Teaching Exceptional Education section of the website. More information and training on supporting students with special needs will be available during the summer training and through the Fellow’s licensure program.
We are looking for Fellows who are planning for a lifetime career in education. The ambitious goal of the Nashville Teaching Fellows is to build a network of Nashville teachers passionate about educational equity and ready to work actively to achieve results in their classrooms on a daily basis, alongside other Metro Nashville teachers with the same focus. We also hope that outstanding individuals who enter the teaching profession through the Fellows program will continue their careers as educators in Nashville, fulfilling our shared mission of closing the achievement gap, for many years to come. While we do not have a mandatory time commitment, the coursework toward licensure will last two years.
Your knowledge and experience can help ensure that every child in Nashville has access to a high-quality education. We know that there is an achievement gap in this city and in our nation, and we know that high-quality teachers are the single most important factor in raising student achievement. As a Teaching Fellow, you will join a network of like-minded professionals dedicated to closing the achievement gap and to making a difference. Click here to learn more.
Licensure
As an alternate route program, the Teaching Fellows program accelerates the process of bringing new teachers to the classrooms that need them the most. Rather than completing a traditional teacher education program prior to entering the classroom, Fellows engage in a short but intensive summer training program and complete further academic requirements while they teach full time, earning a full time salary. Upon entering the classroom as full time teachers in the fall, Nashville Teaching Fellows will be teaching under a "transitional license" (formerly called an "alternative license") while they are working on the necessary requirements to receive a permanent Tennessee teaching license. Review the Licensure section of this website for more information.
Fellows apply for a Tennessee transitional license, allowing them to move forward with certification, after they have successfully completed pre-service training. A Fellow will receive full licensure after demonstrating that s/he is an effective teacher based on student data outcomes and satisfactory principal evaluations after their first year of teaching. While teaching full-time, Fellows will complete alternative licensing coursework and requirements, meeting performance based standards. Review the Licensure section of this website for more information.
Fellows must register for, study for, and pass the appropriate Praxis II exam before the start of the summer Training Institute. The appropriate Praxis II exam will vary for each candidate, depending on a candidate’s eligibility and the subject he/she may teach in the fall. Candidates invited to interview with the Teaching Fellows program will receive individualized guidance on the appropriate exam for their candidacy with their invitation to interview, and are urged to register at that time for their exam. Review the Testing Requirements section of this website for more details on the content and deadlines for these exams.
We realize that registering for the Praxis exam is a financial commitment. However, a passing score on the exam(s) is required by the state and Metro Nashville Public Schools in order to interview for positions and be hired into the district in the fall of 2011. Since the Praxis is only offered three times during our recruitment season, in order to ensure that all of our candidates are registered and eligible to teach in the district if accepted into the Fellows program, we require proof of registration for the Praxis II exam at the time of your interview. Keep in mind that Praxis scores are good for several years, and they are required for all licensed teachers in Tennessee (and many other states). So, if you are making a commitment to teaching as a career, passing Praxis scores are an investment in that career.
- Can I receive a waiver or exemption from the subject area exam, based on undergraduate coursework or professional experience?
No, all Fellows must take and pass the Praxis II exam in the subject area they are invited to teach before the start of the Nashville Teaching Fellows summer Training Institute.
More detailed information on licensure costs will be provided to Fellows upon acceptance and enrollment into the program. Fellows will be responsible for the cost of their license. Note that first year Fellows may be eligible for a Teaching Fellows AmeriCorps Education Award to help cover these education expenses. Review the Licensure section for more information.
Qualifications
There is no one profile for an ideal Teaching Fellows candidate; Fellows come from a wide range of backgrounds and bring to the program a diverse set of talents and skills. Strong candidates are those who are committed to having a positive effect on student achievement, who display excellence in their previous endeavors, and who are dedicated to reaching and influencing students—especially those in under-resourced areas—on a daily basis.
Applicants to the Fellows program should review the strict requirements laid out on the website under Eligibility to check if they meet eligibility for the Teaching Fellows program.
Yes. Individuals without prior teaching experience or coursework in education are eligible for the program and encouraged to apply. The Fellows program is specifically designed to attract high-quality applicants from diverse backgrounds into the teaching profession. Click here for more information.
Anyone who has worked as a full-time, licensed teacher is not eligible for this program. However, individuals who hold or have worked under substitute licenses are eligible to apply. For more details, visit the Eligibility section of this website.
- Why aren't licensed teachers eligible to apply, and what should they do to start teaching in Nashville?
The Teaching Fellows program is specifically designed to provide training and alternative licensure to individuals who have had limited or no education coursework or experience. There are other paths to employment for licensed teachers and individuals who have completed teacher education programs. For more information on employment for licensed teachers, visit the Metropolitan Nashville Public School website.
Individuals must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher from an accredited college or university to be eligible to apply to this program. We know that many committed individuals have lower undergraduate GPAs, and have gone on to succeed in graduate programs, or professionally. Unfortunately, the state of Tennessee has specific requirements for our program that we cannot change. One of those requirements is the 2.75 undergraduate GPA. Please review the Eligibility section for more information on our eligibility requirements before applying. Individuals with an undergraduate GPA lower than 2.75 are not eligible to apply, and Nashville Teaching Fellows cannot make exceptions to this requirement.
No. You do not need to be a resident of Nashville to apply. This program is open to all qualified, determined candidates with the skills and ambitions to make a difference in the lives of students who live in Nashville. For more information on living in Nashville, visit the Living in Nashville section of this website.
Application Process
An application consists of a complete online application form, a resume, and responses to application questions. After reading through this website thoroughly to learn more about the program requirements and benefits, visit the Apply Now section of the website to apply today.
No. Because of the sheer number of applications we receive, we are unable to consider documents or materials other than those required for a complete application (application form, resume, and application questions). Materials that are not required will be discarded. However, we do ask for references on the application, which we may contact to receive further insight on our applicants.
No. Due to the large number of applications, Nashville Teaching Fellows will not accept transcripts sent to our offices. During the application stage, you will only need to provide a copy (official or unofficial) of a transcript from each one of your institutions at the time of your interview. If you are invited to become a Nashville Teaching Fellow, you will eventually need a total of four (4) official, sealed transcripts from each institution you have attended. We will host a document event to collect these transcripts from all enrolled candidates prior to the Training Institute. Fellows cannot begin training until these transcripts have been received. Please click here for more information.
All applications are reviewed for completeness and eligibility, and then for content. Those applicants who demonstrate potential for success as Fellows are invited to interview. (You will also be notified if you are not invited to interview.) You should receive interview notification within approximately two weeks of our receipt of your completed application. Click here for more information.
The interview event will include a teaching sample, a discussion with other candidates, a writing sample, and a personal interview. Each candidate is evaluated holistically, and successful candidates will demonstrate a potential to raise student achievement in a high-need school during each part of the interview day. At the event, candidates have the chance to meet other potential Fellows and to gain a deeper perspective on the program. More information about the interview event will be provided in advance.
All interviews are conducted in person in the Nashville area. Most interview events are held on weekends, and each candidate will be given the opportunity to sign up for an interview event that is most convenient for him/her. We encourage candidates to apply early, as this may allow more opportunities to select a convenient interview event date.
Yes. We understand that it can be an investment of time and money for our out-of-town candidates to travel here to Nashville to interview; however, candidates invited to interview must attend one of our interview events in order to continue the application process. Interview events are comprehensive and designed to enable you to demonstrate your commitment to closing the achievement gap and your potential to become an excellent teacher through a variety of methods. They are also your chance to meet other potential Teaching Fellows. Therefore, this is not something that we can re-create by telephone or by other means.
We will post our application deadline when we begin accepting applications on October 6, 2010. We encourage applicants to apply as close to October 6 as possible, as interview events fill up quickly. Candidates will be informed of their interview status within approximately two weeks of our receiving their complete application. Click here to review important dates and deadlines and to apply now.
We regularly hold information sessions for anyone interested in learning more about the program. Please refer to the Contact Us section if you would like to contact the Fellows office with other specific questions.
Admission and Enrollment
- I applied to Nashville Teaching Fellows but wasn't accepted. Can I appeal the decision on my application?
No. All applications are thoroughly reviewed during our rigorous application process, and admissions decisions are final. Because we receive an exceptional number of applications each year, we are unable to re-evaluate individual applications or provide personalized feedback to applicants who have not been accepted to the program.
Candidates may not defer acceptance into the Teaching Fellows program; however, they may re-apply during our next recruitment season.
Yes, but in order to be considered, you must be able to demonstrate improvements in your candidacy since your previous application. The process for applicants who are re-applying is no different than that for applicants applying for the first time. Because the needs of the school system change from year to year, even those applicants who were admitted to the program in a previous year and declined our offer of admission or withdrew from the program must re-apply to begin teaching the following year.
The Teaching Fellows program is highly selective, with many more eligible applicants than we have positions available in the program. Our eligibility requirements are only the minimum qualifications necessary to be considered for the program, and meeting them in no way guarantees an applicant acceptance. Neither is an achievement or experience, including prior teaching experience, sufficient to guarantee acceptance.
The Training Institute is tentatively scheduled for early-June to mid-July, 2011.. Click here for more information on summer training. Upon successful completion of training, Teaching Fellows will interview for positions to start teaching full time in the fall of 2011.
Your Teaching Position
Candidates to the Teaching Fellows program are invited to interview to teach specific subjects that the district has identified as high need. The subject that you are accepted to teach is based on the staffing needs of the schools and the district, your eligibility, and, where possible, your subject area preferences. Your Eligibility is determined according to strict district and state regulations. Fellows are needed to teach in subjects where Nashville students are currently most in need of strong teachers—math, exceptional education, chemistry, biology, Spanish, English, elementary education, middle school education, and ELL (English Language Learning).
What you are qualified to teach largely depends on your academic history and your successful passing of the appropriate Praxis II content exam. Generally speaking, to be qualified to teach math, chemistry, biology, Spanish, ELL, or English, you must have a major or the equivalent and strong content knowledge in the field. To be qualified to teach exceptional education, middle school education, or elementary education, you must have a bachelor’s degree. All candidates must also pass the corresponding Praxis II exam(s). Please visit the Eligibility section for more detailed information. Candidates will receive more specific direction on what test they are required to take with their invitation to interview.
Fellows will interview to teach in high-need schools—often with fewer resources and a greater need for strong teachers. It is the mission of the Teaching Fellows program to staff high-need subject areas, and all candidates should be prepared to interview for positions and teach wherever they are most needed and can have the greatest impact on student achievement. Click here for more details.
The district hiring process is the process through which teachers interview for their specific teaching positions in high-need Nashville Public Schools and subject areas. This process generally includes interactions with both principals and MNPS human resources personnel. Although candidates may have subject area and geographical preferences, Fellows are assigned subject areas based primarily on the needs of the district, and are encouraged to interview for positions in all geographic areas. Fellows must be extremely flexible about their teaching positions. Review the Securing Your Teaching Position section to learn more.
The Nashville Teaching Fellows program facilitates parts of the Fellows’ district hiring process, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the Fellow to present him/herself as a compelling candidate for hire. Nashville Teaching Fellows are not guaranteed a teaching position, nor are they "placed" in schools. Fellows may secure their teaching positions through job fairs, individual on-site interviews with principals and assistant principals, or through MNPS Human Resources personnel. Teaching Fellows will receive more detailed information on the district hiring process once they have been accepted to and have enrolled in the program. For more information about where Fellows teach, click here.
Fellows will be actively engaged in the district hiring process from spring through the beginning of the school year. Identifying and finalizing a specific teaching job is a challenging process, as there are many variables involved in predicting job openings at the school level. Often, the schools that need teachers the most will not know about their specific hiring needs until mid- to late summer. Fellows are encouraged to be flexible about where they interview to teach, and to be diligent in sending resumes and interviewing for open positions. You will receive more information about this process if you are accepted into the Teaching Fellows program.
You are expected to teach at the school where you are originally hired and commit to positive change in that school.
Training and Resources
In the summer of 2011, Fellows will complete an intensive training program from early-June to mid-July that includes practice teaching, daily sessions led by experienced teachers focused on the practical aspects of teaching and issues faced by teachers in high-need schools, and additional coursework related to the foundation of strong teaching practices. Attendance at all components of training is mandatory. Please click here for more information.
The Teaching Fellows training program concentrates a great deal of training into only a few weeks; thus, training is extremely demanding. Due to the critical part that training plays in preparing Fellows to be successful in the classroom, Fellows cannot miss any portion of the training. Please review the Training & Resources section of this website for more information.
The training program for Fellows is a full-time, Monday through Friday commitment from early-June to mid-July. The Training Institute typically lasts from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Fellows are provided with a $2,000 pre-tax stipend. The stipend is generally distributed at the end of the summer training. Because the time between the start of training and a Fellow’s first paycheck may be lengthy (possibly June to September), we encourage Fellows to take appropriate measures to ensure their financial well-being during this time. Participants go on the district payroll when they begin teaching. Please review the Salary and Benefits section of this website for more information.
The practice of receiving and responding to regular feedback is critical to growing as a professional educator, and at NTF, we value a culture of feedback to ensure that our teachers are as prepared as possible to raise student achievement in Nashville. Just as you will hold your students to high standards, you will be held to high standards during pre-service training, and you will be expected to be a reflective practitioner in order to demonstrate your growth as a teacher. During summer training, Fellows are formally evaluated to assess their readiness for the classroom. These evaluations are based on observations of a Fellow's practice teaching, demonstrated mastery of the curriculum and its principles, and fulfillment of program expectations. Fellows must successfully complete summer training in order to be hired in Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Fellows often look to develop their most basic, ongoing support network at their schools and from their cohort of Teaching Fellows. Although every situation is different, Fellows may collaborate with and access resources from other teachers at their school, district instructional specialists, assistant principals, principals, or a grade or subject-level team. Moreover, summer training events facilitate connections among Fellows who often teach the same subjects areas. Fellows may take advantage of district and school-sponsored professional development programs. In addition, the Teaching Fellows program office also makes Fellows aware of professional development and networking opportunities throughout the year and publishes a regular newsletter. New Teaching Fellows can draw on their connections with other Fellows and district teachers as a resource for planning, reflection, and shared encouragement as they strive for excellence in their individual classrooms.
Fellows have access to several resources once they enter the classroom and are evaluated frequently to ensure that they are effectively teaching their students. Like all teachers, Fellows will be formally and informally evaluated by their principals or assistant principals. In their first year, each Fellow is assigned a mentor from his/her school who can model and coach pedagogical methods. Fellows meet regularly with their mentors to receive and discuss feedback on their performance in the classroom. Final evaluation at the conclusion of a Fellows' first year in the classroom will be required in order for the Fellow to be eligible for licensure. This evaluation takes into account student outcomes, principal evaluation, and completion of NTF program requirements.
Compensation and Benefits
The starting salary for Fellows is the same as that for all other beginning teachers in the district. Starting teachers in 2010-2011, with no previous classroom experience, typically earn $34,059 in their first year, depending on their education level and related coursework. Fellows become salaried employees of the district when all teachers report to work at the start of the school year; teachers normally receive their first pay check during the first month of teaching. Candidates should refer to the Salary & Benefits section of this website for more information.
Fellows are eligible for the same benefits as all other district teachers, including health insurance and a pension plan. For more information about benefits, refer to the Salary & Benefits section of this website.