Overview

Texas Teaching Fellows is an accelerated alternative certification program that recruits, selects, and trains dedicated professionals and recent graduates to become highly-effective teachers. Schools in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, and San Antonio serve diverse students who have the potential to succeed and who deserve the highest quality education. Only 44% of economically disadvantaged 10th grade students in Texas met mathematics standards on the TAKS exam in 2005. Only 18% of Limited English Proficiency 10th graders met these mathematics standards, and just 27% of special education 10th grade students.

Texas Teaching Fellows’ mission is to help close the achievement gap by recruiting, selecting, and training qualified, effective new Teaching Fellows who are dedicated to working in the schools and districts where they are most needed.  

Teaching Fellows join a cohort of like-minded professionals from all fields who bring their expertise into Texas classrooms to increase student achievement in our state’s public schools. While teaching full-time, Fellows work toward certification in key shortage areas, primarily: mathematics, science, bilingual education, and special education.

Participants in Texas Teaching Fellows benefit from:

Intensive summer training Institute:

The summer training Institute takes place over a 6-week period and includes a student teaching component and curriculum sessions. During the student teaching component Fellows are paired with veteran teachers and receive hands-on training and coaching on effective teaching strategies. During the afternoon Fellows attend curriculum sessions that are designed specifically for those with no previous education experience and for teaching in critical shortage content areas. 98% of 2007 Fellows felt that the Institute prepared them to be successful in their first year of teaching.

Streamlined certification program:

Following the summer training Institute, Fellows are eligible to begin teaching full-time in the fall receiving the full salary and benefits of a first year teacher. During the first year in the classroom, Fellows participate in the Content Seminar series “Teaching for Results”. This series is a comprehensive professional development program led by veteran teachers where Fellows are given additional tools for effective teaching and raising student achievement. Completion of this series makes them eligible to receive their Standard Certificate in as little as one year. 90% of Fellows felt that the Content Seminar series helped them become a more effective teacher, and 97% of Fellows felt that the seminar instructors helped them become more effective teachers.

Timely and relevant professional development:

The Content Seminar series is held twice a month for 3 hours at a time totaling 45 hours of professional development. The in-person instruction received during these sessions focuses on building their teaching skills in their content area. The teachers who lead these sessions also serve as a source of additional information that Fellows can turn to for support and assistance throughout the school year. The Content Seminar series also provides them with an opportunity to connect with the other Fellows teaching in their subject area.

Ongoing network:

Our program offers the opportunity for Fellows to forge connections with peers, faculty, staff, and district personnel. This support network is cited by our Fellows as one of the most helpful resources for them as new teachers.

Assistance in securing a teaching position:

93% of our 2007 Fellows were successful in securing a teaching position this fall. Our partnerships with local school districts help ensure that Fellows get hired. TTF equips Fellows to be as successful as possible through interview preparation and resume review. TTF will also facilitate opportunities for Fellows to interview with partner districts through job fairs and individual interviews whenever possible. Fellows will also receive the most recent vacancy announcement for partner districts.