Colorado
Overview
Colorado corps members teach in Colorado Springs, Denver, Aurora, Commerce City and Thornton. The cities combine the culture of major metropolitan areas with a spirit of outdoor adventure. Nicknamed the “Mile High City,” Denver has the 10th largest downtown in the United States, and the nation’s largest urban park system. Colorado Springs was rated as America’s Best City by Outdoor Magazine in 2009.
All placement sites are within the Front Range of Colorado, which is host to a multitude of activities, including professional sports teams, museums, performing arts centers, and a variety of outdoor activities from hiking to mountain biking. Across the front-range, the Latino and Hispanic population continues to grow, and currently makes up over 30 percent of the population. In 2006, Denver became a minority-majority city, citing that over half of the city’s population consisted of non-white citizens.
Life
Corps members can attend concerts at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre, a striking, naturally-formed outdoor venue, visit the Denver Art Museum with its new building designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, or explore the Downtown Aquarium and Denver Zoo. Colorado Springs offers a stunning view of Pike’s Peak, the Garden of the Gods state park, museums and a hip downtown scene. In Denver neighborhoods such as the Lower Downtown Historic District, or LoDo, residents find shopping, restaurants, and a vibrant night life.
Currently, many corps members choose to live in the heart of the urban centers of the Front Range. If placed in the Denver metro area, corps members often choose to live in the heart of Denver in older, historic homes and apartments. Capitol Hill, Highlands, Cherry Creek, City Park, and Cheesman Park are neighborhoods that have established distinct atmospheres where corps members reside. In Colorado Springs, corps members live within the heart of downtown in loft or condominium settings, in the funky and eclectic Manitou Springs area, or on the west side of the city in the historic Broadmoor area.
Corps Culture
The Colorado corps is playing a significant part in the development of regional programming and corps culture. Colorado corps members attend monthly all-corps meetings, participate in learning teams with other corps members who teach the same grade or subject, and enjoy cultural events and social gatherings with colleagues and friends. There are opportunities for Colorado corps members to assume leadership positions in the corps.
Because diversity is essential to us achieving our goals and operating according to our core values, Teach For America • Colorado engages in discussions and workshops throughout the year, as well as offers one of the nation’s only year-long diversity curriculum as a continuation of diversity, community, and achievement. This year corps members can choose to participate in discussions on topics such as assets-based thinking and its impact on students, as well as a series of workshops on culturally responsive pedagogy, host book-clubs, panel discussions and special events, all with the purpose of benefiting our students through improving our instructional practices.
Teaching
In the schools Teach For America corps members teach , the achievement gap along socioeconomic lines is clear. In 2006-07, only 22 percent of students in our partner schools in Denver scored proficient or higher on the Colorado Student Assessment Program, as compared to 33 percent in the Denver Public Schools District, and 56 percent statewide.
Each of the districts has a tremendous amount of change happening around education. As part of its education reform initiatives, Denver Public Schools recently launched what is known as the “ProComp” system for teacher compensation. This new system aims to tie teacher compensation with student achievement outcomes.
View a map of our placement areas.
Certification and Testing
A Colorado corps member must pass the subject/grade national Praxis II exam and/or the Colorado PLACE exam that correlates to their placement assignment. Corps members placed in special education, early childhood, or math are required to take the both the Praxis and the PLACE exams. The PLACE is only administered in Colorado on certain dates. Thus, candidates taking the PLACE exam will be reimbursed up to $350 for their travel expenses to and from Colorado.
During this first year of the commitment, corps members will earn their permanent initial license to teach in the state of Colorado by participating in several different types of ongoing professional development trainings and completing a rigorous portfolio through Teach For America.
Placements
Placements Available
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Early childhood education
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K-6
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Secondary math, science, and English
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K-8 special education
|
Living and Education Expenses
Salary and Taxes
| Salary |
$32,000 - $37,000 |
| Taxes |
18.33% - 19.33% |
Cost of Living
| Housing Single |
$600 - $900 |
| Housing Shared |
$400 - $700 |
| Health Insurance |
$50 |
| Utilities |
$60 |
| Daycare |
$536 - $820 / month |
| Monthly Tranist Pass |
$70 |
| Car Insurance |
$125 |
| Car Required |
Access to car is essential |
Start-up Costs
| Testing Costs |
$70 - $200 |
| Up-front Certification Costs |
$1,000 |
| How do you pay start-up costs? |
Out-of-pocket |
Ongoing Costs through the Two-year Commitment
| Ongoing Certification Costs |
$0 |
| Use AmeriCorps award for testing/certification costs? |
No |
| How is teaching certification structured in this state/region? |
Through Teach For America |
| 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 |
$6,000 - $9,500 |
| Partner Universities |
University of Colorado at Denver |
Notes and Clarifications
- Beginning teacher salary: If you have a master's degree in education, are placed in a bilingual classroom, or in a math/science classroom you may receive additional compensation.
- Avg. health insurance: In some placement districts, health insurance premiums are pre-tax deductions.
- Total tax rate: Federal + state + city. Only applies to starting salaries.
- Up-front certification: Expenses that must be paid before your first day of teaching.
- Paying start-up costs: Can you pay for testing and up-front certification costs with transitional grants and loans or do you have to pay out-of-pocket?
- Ongoing certification: Total certification costs over two-year teaching commitment.
- AmeriCorps award for certification: Can you use your AmeriCorps award to pay testing/certification costs?
- Master's in two years: Is it possible to complete a master's degree at the end of two years?
- Master's required: Is the completion of a master's degree required as part of the two-year commitment?
- Extra master's degree costs: Additional total cost to obtain a master's degree (on top of ongoing certification costs); does not include AmeriCorps award.
- Partner university(ies): These universities partner with Teach For America for ongoing certification requirements, and in some cases, the fulfillment of a master's degree in education.
