In the words
of a Fellow... "Teaching in a high-need school for me is
about wanting to give back. I want to give these kids the advantages they
otherwise would not get automatically." -Julie, 2003
Fellow
Our
Purpose Because effective teachers dramatically increase their
students’ academic success, the NYC Teaching Fellows program recruits and
prepares high-quality, dedicated individuals to become teachers who raise
student achievement in the New York City classrooms that need them most.
Who Are
Teaching Fellows? NYC Teaching Fellows are high-achieving, driven
individuals from different backgrounds and careers who are using their diverse
experiences, knowledge, and achievements to positively affect the lives of
students. From over 150,000 applicants over the past ten years, NYCTF has
provided New York City classrooms with over 13,500 high-quality teachers.
Participation in the
Fellowship does not require teaching experience or previous education
coursework. The program is designed specifically to provide Fellows with the
necessary training, coursework, and resources that will enable them to succeed
as teachers in the NYC public schools.
NYCTF is highly selective.
Our June 2009 program was the most competitive in recent history and
significantly smaller than previous years. Overall, fewer than one in ten
applicants became a Fellow. We expect June 2010 to be similar in size and
selectivity. While the size and subject composition of the June 2010 program are
still to be determined, applications are reviewed and interviews are granted on
a rolling basis.
Training Once accepted into the program, all Fellows
go through a short, but intensive, pre-service training, part of which includes
a hands-on teaching experience in a New York City classroom. Upon successful
completion of training, Fellows are eligible to be hired almost immediately in
one of the more than 1,400 public schools in NYC. Learn more about
NYCTF’s pre-service training.
Subsidized
Master’s Degree One of the key elements of the Fellowship is
enrollment in a subsidized Master’s degree program. While teaching, each Fellow
works toward a subsidized Master's degree in education, specializing in the
subject s/he teaches, at a university that has partnered with the Teaching
Fellows program. The Master's program takes two to three years to complete; the
duration varies depending on a Fellow's subject area and specific university
requirements. Each Fellow is responsible for some portion of the Master’s degree
tuition, and the amount will be deducted over time from the Fellow’s regular
paycheck. (June 2009 Fellows are responsible for $6,600; the amount for June
2010 has not yet been finalized.) Learn more about the
subsidized Master’s degree.
Teaching
Position Fellows find their own school-level teaching positions to
ensure a good match for both the Fellow and the school. To support Fellows in
their job search, NYCTF provides online tools and resources and connects Fellows
to job fairs and smaller school-based interview events.
Although NYCTF does not assign
Fellows to individual schools, each Fellow is assigned a subject area and a
borough within which s/he will look for a school-level position. The Teaching
Fellows program takes candidates' subject area and borough preferences into
consideration; however, assignments are driven primarily by school needs and by
each Fellow's eligibility. Most Fellows are assigned to the Bronx and Brooklyn.
All Fellows must be prepared to teach wherever they are needed most. Learn more about
teaching in NYC.
What
Fellows Teach NYCTF is especially dedicated to recruiting applicants
eligible for and interested in teaching one of our high-need subject
areas, especially science and special education. Admission for a given
subject area will depend on the applicant’s background and the anticipated needs
of the schools.
Most Fellows who begin training
in June 2010 will train to teach special education. Because there is also an
acute need for qualified science teachers, some candidates in our June 2010
program may be eligible for our Science Immersion
program, a special initiative that helps individuals with science-related
backgrounds gain the credits they need to teach science in the New York City
public schools. If you were a science major, you do not need to participate in
Immersion in order to qualify to teach science.
A similar initiative is available
for candidates in our June 2010 program with a math-related background to help
qualified individuals gain the credits they need to teach math in NYC. Learn more about our Math
Immersion program.
Salary and
Benefits A Fellow earns the same salary and
benefits as other New York City teachers once s/he begins teaching in a
regular school-level teaching position. Currently, the starting salary for
first-year teachers with only a Bachelor's degree is $45,530. Conditional upon
funding and grant approval, Fellows may also be eligible for AmeriCorps
Education Awards.
Testing
Requirements In order to meet New York State teaching certification
requirements, each Fellow must pass both the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test
(LAST) and the appropriate Content Specialty Test (CST) before s/he can begin
teaching. Upon acceptance, NYCTF will instruct Fellow about which CST to take.
Each Fellow is responsible for the cost of the exams. Please note that
candidates are not required to take the exams in order to apply for the program.
More information about testing is available at http://www.nystce.nesinc.com.
Ready to
Get Started? Click here to read about how our application
process works.