Your Teaching Career
Licensure
Fellows will participate in an accelerated alternate route to licensure program, teaching full-time while completing licensure requirements. Rather than completing a traditional teacher education program prior to entering the classroom, Fellows first engage in an intensive summer Training Institute that is specifically designed for Nashville Teaching Fellows and is free of cost, before then completing additional academic licensure (also known as certification) requirements while teaching full-time. This allows Fellows to become fully-licensed teachers in the state of Tennessee while teaching and earning a full salary and benefits.
Fellows will begin teaching on a transitional Tennessee teaching license. In order to receive this licensure, Fellows will need to enroll in an approved alternative licensing program, prove that they have passed the requisite Praxis II exam(s), and complete additional enrollment processing steps (such as securing fingerprinting clearance and submitting official transcripts to MNPS). While teaching full-time, Fellows will complete alternative licensing coursework and take additional tests in order to fulfill licensure requirements. The Nashville Teaching Fellows will provide you with information regarding these additional requirements upon acceptance to the program.
While Nashville Teaching Fellows helps Fellows connect the pieces to earn their teaching license, it is the Fellow’s responsibility to meet licensure program requirements. All Fellows formally commit to working toward and completing their licensing requirements when accepting their offer to join the Teaching Fellows program.
Fellows may be eligible for the Teaching Fellows AmeriCorps Education Awards Program. All Fellows are responsible for covering the costs of all licensure course requirements. However, first year Nashville Teaching Fellows may be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award after successfully completing their first year of teaching. The award, which is valid for seven years after issuance, may be used to pay for licensure or future education costs including the repayment of eligible student loans.
In order to be eligible to apply for the award, Fellows must meet all AmeriCorps eligibility criteria and service requirements. More detailed information on enrollment in the Teaching Fellows AmeriCorps Education Awards Program and details on licensure costs will be provided to Fellows upon enrollment in the program and during the summer training.
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