Bay Area
Overview
In the Bay Area, entrepreneurialism and innovation are a way of life - and education reform is no different. From Oakland to downtown San Francisco to Silicon Valley, Teach For America corps members are in classrooms on all sides of the Bay. Our corps members are equally varied and diverse, coming from all corners of the United States in order to help rebuild California’s public school system.
Life
Corp members in the Bay Area generally live in three distinct sub-regions. Those teaching in San Jose, East Palo Alto, and Alum Rock live in the Silicon Valley area, ideal for outdoor activities. Corps members teaching in Oakland and West Contra Costa typically reside in Lake Merrit and Rockridge or neighboring Berkeley, home to an eclectic and diverse culture. Those teaching in San Francisco often live in the neighborhoods of Haight-Ashbury, the Mission, or Noe Valley in the cultural, financial, and urban center of the region. San Francisco is home to diverse activities, cultures, and food that make it one of the most desirable and diverse cities in the country.
Corps Culture
Corps members come together for collaboration teams, where teachers with similar subject areas team-up. Corps members also receive individualized support provided from their program directors, who observe corps members in their classrooms and hold one-on-one meetings with them throughout the year.
Also, the Bay Area social calendars are famously wide-ranging and always bustling with events, such as the Garlic Festival in Gilroy to frisbee throwing in expansive Golden Gate Park. Bay Area corps members also enjoy the valuable resources of a network of more than 1,000 alumni in sectors across the region including business, law, medicine, technology, policy and education. Like the region they live in, the Bay Area corps culture is characterized by an optimistic, entrepreneurial spirit.
Teaching
Teach For America • Bay Area, with its seven partner districts and several charter partners, is responsible for the education of more than 200,000 students in 419 schools. Each district and charter faces deep disparities in student achievement which drives the work corps members engage in. On average, 35 percent of the students in the districts we serve are learning English as a Second Language, and 64 percent come from families that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
One of the most exciting things about the Bay Area is not only its incredible diversity, but also the opportunities it provides to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible in education. In the South Bay, San Jose Unified recently partnered with Chevron and Bank of America to establish the largest solar power and energy-efficient facilities program in K-12 education in the United States. This year, San Francisco Unified will pioneer the nation’s first family diversity curriculum to build awareness among its students on issues related to LGBT families and households.
Certification and Testing
Bay Area corps members are required by state and federal legislation to enroll in a California teaching credential program at the start of their two-year commitment. Currently, Teach For America • Bay Area partners with Alliant International University, California State University – East Bay, REACH, and Oakland Practitioner Teacher Program (for Special Education Teachers).
Master’s programs are offered to all K-12 teachers through our credentialing partners. The cost of the Master’s program varies significantly by credential partner. The time commitment is typically one and a half to two times that of an early completion option program.
In order to enroll in these mandated programs, corps members must first pass three tests: the CSET (a subject matter competency), the CBEST (a basic skills requirement), and a U.S. Constitution test. Corps members who choose to enroll in the Early Completion Option are also required to take the Teaching Foundations Exam, an entrance exam designed to provide evidence of foundational teaching knowledge. Applicants assigned to the Bay Area will receive more information about certification, university programs, and testing upon acceptance to Teach For America.
Some of the credentialing programs allow teachers to defer payment until they receive their AmeriCorps education awards. In addition, corps members are eligible for a number of grants offered by the State of California and other private organizations.
Placements
| Pre-K |
5% |
| Elementary |
36% |
| Secondary |
59% |
| Special Education |
16% |
| Teach at a school with another corps member or alumnus |
91% |
Placements Available
-
multiple subject elementary
-
specific subject secondary
-
special education
-
early childhood education
-
bilingual
|
Living and Education Expenses
Salary and Taxes
| Salary |
$34,000 - $48,000 |
| Taxes |
22.04 - 26.61% |
Cost of Living
|
South Bay |
East Bay |
San Francisco |
| Housing Single |
$800 |
$950 |
$1200 |
| Housing Shared |
$500 |
$630 |
$730 |
| Health Insurance |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| Utilities |
$60 |
$60 |
$60 |
| Daycare |
$1000 |
$1000 |
$1000 |
| Monthly Transit Pass |
$61 |
$80 |
$55 |
| Car Insurance |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| Car Required |
Access to car is essential |
Access to car is essential |
Access to car is essential |
Start-up Costs
| Testing Costs |
$380 - $730 |
| Up-front Certification Costs |
$0 - $250 |
| How do you pay start-up costs? |
Out-of-pocket |
Ongoing Costs through the Two-Year Commitment
| Ongoing Certification Costs |
$5,000 - $10,000 |
| Use AmeriCorps award for testing/certification costs? |
yes |
| How is teaching certification structured in this state/region? |
1 year - Through university |
| Is it possible to complete a master's degree at the end of two years? |
yes |
| Is the completion of a master's degree required as part of the two-year commitment? |
no |
| Extra Master's Degree Costs |
$4,000 - $8,000 |
| Partner Universities |
Alliant University, Cal State – East Bay |