Being a Fellow

Securing a Position

"My district hiring went more smoothly than I expected. Advice about what kinds of questions to expect helped me be prepared. I also felt that our work products from summer Institute were relevant enough to bring to the interview."

-Austin Texas Teaching Fellow

The district hiring process will require lots of time and attention. Regardless, TTF will be there to support you along the way.

Of course, it is the responsibility of every Fellow to secure his/her own position. However, our unique relationships with local schools and our understanding of the district hiring process can help you maximize all of the application and interview opportunities that come your way. We provide the following forms of support (please note that the application of these forms of support may differ from site to site):

Resume and cover letter review
Interviewing practice
District Hiring Guide and Interviewing Guide
Weekly District Hiring emails beginning in June 2010 alerting you to vacancies and providing you with additional strategies
Names, contact information, and resumes will be distributed when appropriate by TTF to local districts

In addition, district personnel are consistently impressed by many aspects of the Texas Teaching Fellows program:

Selectivity

Principals, teachers, and district staff are heavily involved in our selection process and praise both the quality of our candidates and the high standards of our selection model. They have found that the program selectivity translates into higher quality teachers. In fact, 100% of school district representatives agreed with the statement "TTF's selection model has resulted in high-quality candidates for my district."

Content Knowledge

The extensive backgrounds our Fellows bring with them – both in coursework and in professional experience – set them above many of their peers. Administrators and students alike appreciate the content expertise these teachers bring into the classroom. In 2009, 95% of principals surveyed agreed that their Fellows raised student achievement.

Training and Preparation

The emphasis of TTF’s summer training Institute is on making Fellows as prepared as possible to enter the classroom, using a research-based curriculum, a high-quality faculty, and a summer-school field experience. Overall, our partners have been impressed with the training Fellows receive: 94% of our 2009 hiring principals were satisfied with the Fellows at their school.

“There are many alternative certification programs available in Texas, but what I feel separates TTF from the rest is its selectiveness. You cannot buy your way into the program! The selection process is very competitive and challenging, which helps assure our partner districts that any candidates recommended by TTF have not only successfully completed the Summer Institute, but also have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their previous endeavors. TTF’s main goal is to prepare well-qualified individuals for what will without a doubt become one of their most challenging feat: help close the achievement gap in our schools.”

-Dallas Texas Teaching Fellow

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