What does the hiring process look like?

Corps members are hired by principals in our partner school districts, we do not place corps members in schools. We will help you prepare your hiring materials, and once you are eligible for hire (pass your certification exam) we send these materials out to our school partners. From there, our school partners will decide who they want to interview. At the same time, you will complete an application for your school district and apply to schools directly. 

 

There will be formal hiring opportunities in the spring and throughout the summer that you will be able to attend once you pass your certification exam. More information on these events will be provided closer to the dates.

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Check out these helpful resources:

• Check out the hiring timeline

• Check out these resume resources: Resource 1  |  Resource 2  |  Resource 3

• This document includes strategies for developing effective interview answers

• This document includes practice questions to help you prepare for your school interviews

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How do corps members know in which schools they can teach?

Corps members can only be hired by Title 1 schools.​ You can find a list of Title 1 schools on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools website or the Guilford County Schools website.

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View schools our corps members are currently teaching in here.

 

Will I be able to pick a specific subject (i.e. Biology or Algebra) or grade level?

Ultimately, it is up to your principal which subject and grade you will teach. We encourage you to remain flexible and keep an open mind as it relates to specific grade level / subject area assignments at your school. We are excited for you to serve where the need is greatest and trust that your leadership and problem-solving skills will be an asset for you along the way.

 

How should I choose a place to live if I don't know where I'll be teaching?

Charlotte is an urban area, however, you can drive from one side of the city to the other in about 35 minutes. Since corps members may not be matched until a few weeks before school starts, we recommend corps members choose neighborhoods where they want to live and they will likely not be more than 30 minutes from their school.

 

When are the majority of corps members hired by a school?

The majority of corps members are hired over the summer. There are some corps members who have passed their tests who are hired in the spring. Vacancies and teacher allotments constantly change! Corps members can be hired up until the first day of school.

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What happens after I pass my test?

Submit your scores to our region on Google Classroom (and text Nina to celebrate!). Starting in the spring, we will notify the school district that you are eligible for hire.

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Should I apply to jobs posted on the CMS/GCS website?

Eventually, yes, but please wait until until the Hiring Webinar where we will give you more information on how and when to do so. Our school districts have created a formalized, TFA-specific process for all incoming corps members. Please also do not initiate direct outreach to Principals yet. Dr. Flood will let you know specific next steps about this process in the spring.

 

Can I accept an offer from a principal?

Please let Dr. Christa Flood know if you receive a job offer before you accept any job offers. Why?

• We’re committed to having corps members teaching in schools where there is at least one other corps member or alumni teaching and/or a TFA presence in the school.

• You may also receive more than one offer and should give yourself time to consider your options.

• We need to ensure that you are considering an offer from one of our Title I partner schools.

 

Why haven't I been hired yet?

There are 3 times during the year when the majority of teacher vacancies are known:

• Beginning of the summer

• Middle of the summer

• Right before school starts

As schools receive vacancies, they let the school district know and begin interviewing for the position. The hiring process is ongoing up until the first day of school. Our goal is to have everyone hired a week before school starts. If you have not been hired it is because we are waiting for the school district to confirm a vacancy with schools we support and for your particular content area.

 

What happens if I don't pass my test(s)?

All corps members are required to pass their tests by July 31 - View the testing timeline in order to be hired by a school and remain a member of the 2020 corps.

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How much will I get paid?

Click here to access salary information for CMS and click here to access salary information for GCS (note that as with any public school district in the U.S., CMS and GCS salaries are contingent upon local government budgets and are therefore subject to change).

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Who should I contact if I have questions about the Hiring Process?  

Please contact Dr. Christa Flood for all hiring-related questions.

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How does the region determine which subject I am assigned to teach?

When making subject area assignments, we consider several factors:

• The needs of our students and school district

• Your indicated preferences

• Your background

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I don’t have a background in my assigned subject area; I’m not sure I’m comfortable/qualified to teach it.

Many corps members are assigned to teach in an area where they may not have a strong background. As a result of your strong academic and leadership skills, we believe that you have the ability to learn the material and teach our students. Our top priority is ensuring our  students have the best teacher possible—we would not assign someone to a subject area where we didn’t believe they have the potential to be that teacher!

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Why is placing teachers in math/science a priority?

Teach For America exists to provide all students with an excellent education. There is a critical shortage of math and science teachers in our districts. Many of our students go the entire school year being taught by a revolving door of substitutes because there is no full-time teacher to fill the position. Principals in our school district are eager to hire math and science teachers. Our goal is to give our students an equal chance at life. In our technology-driven world, skills related to math and science are not only invaluable, they are necessary. Check out this article to learn more about STEM and the education gap.

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What kind of material will I be teaching as a science/math teacher?

Click here to find a general overview of concepts covered for science/math placements.

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Does the region provide me with resources to support me since I’m not an expert on my assigned subject area?

Yes! Feeling nervous or anxious about being able to pass the certification exam is something a lot of corps members experience. We recognize that you may be tested on material that you didn’t study in college or that you learned a long time ago in grade school! Therefore, we’ve put together resources that we’ve found to help you study. Corps members have used these resources in the past and have been able to successfully pass the certification tests, even if they didn’t have a background in the subject area. Learn more on our testing page!

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We also provide ongoing support during the school year after you begin teaching in your content area. You will have a teacher coach who will work with you to help you become the best teacher possible for your students!