Eligibility

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To apply for Memphis Teaching Fellows, candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements. No previous coursework in education or teaching experience is required. Candidates must:

 

Have a Bachelor's degree:

Candidates who hold a Bachelor’s degree or expect to have their degree conferred no later than June 2010 are eligible to apply. A Bachelor’s degree is a requirement for certification and acceptance into Memphis Teaching Fellows.

Graduates of foreign countries must have their transcripts evaluated by an approved credential evaluation agency. When requesting an evaluation, candidates should ensure that the evaluating agency specifically states the individual has received the U.S. equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree in his/her subject area AND provides a full listing of coursework.

If invited to interview, candidates must submit evaluations of any foreign transcripts. A decision will not be made regarding a candidate's final status unless foreign transcript evaluations have been received. Evaluations can be faxed or mailed to the Memphis Teaching Fellows office at (901) 416-0540 or Memphis City Schools, Memphis Teaching Fellows, 2597 Avery Ave Room 164, Memphis, TN 38112.

The Tennessee Department of Education recognizes the following evaluation agencies:

World Education Services
Josef Silny, Inc

For additional agencies or questions regarding the evaluation process please contact the Tennessee Department of Education at (615) 532-4885. .

 

Have an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher:

MTF applicants must have a GPA of 2.75 or higher from an accredited college or university. In some cases, consideration may be given for individuals who display exceptional past achievement elsewhere. Candidates with less than a 2.75 GPA (but higher than a 2.5 GPA) will have the opportunity in the online application to address any issues that may be relevant to their academic performance.

If invited to an interview, at the Interview Event candidates must provide at least one official or unofficial transcript from each college and/or university the candidate has attended. A total of three official transcripts must be submitted by May 28, 2010 for acceptance into MTF to be finalized. We strongly encourage candidates to request official transcripts as soon as making the decision to apply to the program. This will avoid delays in submitting transcripts.

 

Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and eligible to work in Memphis City Schools:

Applicants must present acceptable photo identification, proof that they are eligible to work in the United States, successfully pass a physical examination, and pass a Department of Children Services check prior to becoming employees of the Memphis City Schools.

If accepted into the program, Fellows must authorize MCS to forward their names to law enforcement officials for the purpose of a criminal background check. Fellows must be cleared by the background check before becoming MCS employees.

 

Succesfully complete Praxis I Reading, Writing, and Mathematics exams and Praxis II Subject Area exams:

In order to be accepted into Memphis Teaching Fellows, you must successfully complete the Praxis I Reading, Writing, and Mathematics exams and appropriate Praxis II Specialty Area exam(s).

The Praxis exams are standardized tests taken by Tennessee teachers and which cover general and subject-specific knowledge. The Praxis exams are also administered in several other states around the country. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to Memphis Teaching Fellows even if they have not yet taken these exams. However, acceptance into the program is contingent upon passing the required tests, and passing scores must be on file with the MTF office on or before May 28, 2010. The first day to take the Praxis II exam(s) in order to be eligible for the 2010-2011 program is January 9, 2010.   We strongly encourage applicants to register for Praxis tests as early as possible.

For more information on the testing requirements, please visit the Testing Requirements page.

 

You must not be a certified teacher:

The Memphis Teaching Fellows is specifically designed to provide training and support to individuals who have had no education coursework or experience.  There are other, more appropriate paths to employment in Memphis for certified teachers and individuals who have completed teacher preparation programs.  If you are currently certified, enrolled in a certification program, or pursued teacher certification in the past you are not eligible to apply. Because previous teacher certificaton coursework cannot be used towards Fellows' university coursework requirements, we do not recommend the Memphis Teaching Fellows program for individuals who have taken steps towards teacher certification. Certified teachers and individuals pursuing certification are strongly encouraged to contact the Memphis City Schools Office of Recruitment and apply through the application process. The Office of Recruitment can be contacted at info@teachmemphis.org or 901-416-0232. Their website is www.teachmemphis.org.

 

Subject Area Eligibility

Memphis Teaching Fellows is recruiting candidates to teach secondary math, secondary chemistry, middle school, K-12th grade French, K-12th grade Spanish, and K-12th grade special education (instructional resource or severe/profound).  Although no specific coursework or credit hours are typically required to be eligible to apply to teach math, chemistry, middle school, French and Spanish, 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 math, chemistry, French, or Spanish will have significant relevant coursework or significant relevant professional experience.  Candidates interested in teaching special education or middle school must also be prepared to take and pass the required Praxis II Subject Assessments.  In addition, relevant coursework or experience is preferred.

Memphis City Schools does not discriminate in its programs or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, handicap/disability, sex or age. For more information, please contact the Office of Equity Compliance at (901) 416-6670.