Eastern North Carolina
Overview
For those teaching in the rural parts of North Carolina, commuting to school means driving along traffic-free, two-lane highways through one-stop towns, where residents smile and wave to all who pass through.
East North Carolina’s rural landscape becomes more urban as one enters Durham. Along with Raleigh and Chapel Hill, Durham is part of the “Research Triangle” area of North Carolina, which has grown rapidly in the past decade. The entire region is undergoing transformative cultural and demographic shifts including significant growth in the overall population, especially within the local Latino and Hispanic community.
Life
The nine-county area where Teach For America places corps members runs from the Virginia border to just south of the state capital of Raleigh. Most corps members teach and live in the region's small rural towns, where they become immersed in community life, from attending high school football games to coaching school sports. Others rent waterfront homes on Lake Gaston, while some reside in larger towns such as Rocky Mount and Henderson. A handful of corps members also choose to live in Durham.
Regardless of where they reside, corps members here enjoy access to the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill Triangle, where there are numerous opportunities to take advantage of the social, cultural, and academic resources connected to UNC- Chapel Hill, N. C. State, N. C. Central, Duke, and Shaw.
Corps Culture
Even though Eastern North Carolina corps members teach throughout a widespread region, the corps remains a close-knit community. Corps members maintain friendships by frequently coming together as a team. At gatherings such as All Corps Conferences and informal small-group dinners, corps members establish relationships that they rely upon when confronting the challenges of teaching. In Eastern North Carolina, corps members also have the unique opportunity to live in an area of the state between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the beautiful coastline, which provides opportunities to travel and explore together. The local Teach For America alumni chapter consists of more than 200 members, and assists new corps members by helping them access resources, running workshops, and hosting barbecues and other social events. Program directors provide individualized support by observing corps members in their classrooms and holding one-on-one meetings several times a year.
Teaching
Rural Eastern North Carolina is home to some of the poorest school districts in the country. In a state that traditionally faces severe teacher shortages – in 2007, there were over 10,000 teaching vacancies in North Carolina – low-income schools have difficulty attracting excellent teachers, particularly in high-needs subject areas. In the past two years, Teach For America has been able to fill about 50 percent of requests for high school math teachers and special education teachers. All ten districts in which Teach For America places corps members experience some of the lowest achievement rates and highest poverty levels in the state.
Teach For America • Eastern North Carolina is working to overcome these challenges by recruiting more corps members to provide excellent educational opportunities to all students. According to a recent independent study, 100 percent of North Carolina principals who manage Teach For America corps members believe that these teachers make a positive difference in their school environment, and would hire Teach For America corps members again. Our corps members have developed new high school courses and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, served as department chairs, sponsored extracurricular clubs and sports, and organized international field trip opportunities for their students.
View a map of our placement areas.
Certification and Testing
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, corps members must pass a subject-specific exam called The PRAXIS II Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers, before entering the classroom.
All Eastern North Carolina corps members are required to complete their teacher licensure coursework within one year. All corps members participate in a customized licensure cohort with our university partner, East Carolina University (ECU). This program combines Teach For America’s required professional development with practical, applied coursework. The integrated nature of the partnership streamlines the licensure process. Corps members generally take one class per semester (3 credits each.) The cost for in-state tuition is approximately $1,000 a year, whereas out-of-state tuition is considerably higher.
There are a number of masters programs at East Carolina University that overlap with our licensure coursework for specific content areas. Teach For America is working closely with East Carolina University to further expand the options for masters programs.
Placements
| Elementary |
22% |
| Secondary |
78% |
| Teach at a school with another corps member or alumnus |
95% |
Placements Available
-
general subject elementary
-
specific subject secondary
-
special education
-
arts education
|
Living and Education Expenses
Salary and Taxes
| Salary |
$30,430 |
| Taxes |
20.63% |
Cost of Living
| Housing Single |
$350 - $700 |
| Housing Shared |
$150 - $300 |
| Health Insurance |
$0 |
| Utilities |
$60 |
| Daycare |
$400 - $600 / month |
| Monthly Tranist Pass |
N/A |
| Car Insurance |
$88 |
| Car Required |
Access to car is essential |
Start-up Costs
| Testing Costs |
$220 |
| Up-front Certification Costs |
$1,100 |
| How do you pay start-up costs? |
Out-of-pocket |
Ongoing Costs through the Two-year Commitment
| Ongoing Certification Costs |
$1,000 |
| Use AmeriCorps award for testing/certification costs? |
No |
| 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? |
No |
| Is the completion of a master's degree required as part of the two-year commitment? |
No |
| Extra Master's Degree Costs |
N/A |
| Partner Universities |
Eastern Carolina University |
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.
