Teaching

Teach For America • Mid-Atlantic corps members are assigned to teach in Philadelphia, Camden, or Wilmington in traditional school district schools, charter schools, or community-based early childhood organizations. Our charter school partners and community-based organizations serve the same populations as the region’s public schools. Charter schools often allow students in the community the opportunity to attend specialized schools at no cost to their families.

One of the most exciting aspects of teaching in the Mid-Atlantic is the ability for corps members to quickly take on leadership roles in their school and district. Frequently, corps members will be assigned content-based leadership within their schools by the end of their corps commitment, and also take on roles as representatives for their unions’ committee leaders, coaches, or advisors for extra-curricular activities. Teach For America • Mid-Atlantic corps members are able to immediately use their leadership skills to effect change at their school sites.

View a map of our placement areas.

Certification and Testing

Mid-Atlantic corps members must register for and take two or more of the Praxis series of exams in order to receive certification in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware. Precise testing requirements vary by corps member placement area and city and we encourage applicants to note these differences.

Certification programs for new teachers in the Mid-Atlantic can be expensive. To offset some of this cost, all corps members qualify and can apply for financial aid in the form of federal loans. In addition, after completing their first year of teaching, corps members currently receive an AmeriCorps education award, which can be applied to the second year's tuition or used to pay back financial aid loans accrued during the first year. Corps members also benefit from tuition discounts at all Mid-Atlantic partner universities, which are included in the costs cited below.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia corps members who are not already certified are required to enroll in the Teacher Intern Certificate Program, Pennsylvania's alternative certification program. Teach For America currently partners with Chestnut Hill College for special education and early childhood education certification coursework and the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education for certification coursework in all other subject areas.

At Chestnut Hill College, the current discounted tuition rate for certification is approximately $16,000 total over two years. Corps members attending Chestnut Hill College receive a master's degree in conjunction with their certification for the same cost.

Corps members attending the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education can choose to pursue certification at a cost of approximately $12,000 over two years. Corps members at the University of Pennsylvania also have the option to pursue a master's degree in combination with their certification at a total cost of approximately $40,000 over two years ($20,000 total each year to obtain a master’s and certification).

Camden

Camden corps members who do not already have New Jersey certification are required to enroll in a state-approved alternative certification program. All corps members teaching in Camden become certified at the end of their first year of teaching. Upon completing the alternate certification program, corps members are permanently certified to teach anywhere in the state.

The cost of tuition for the New Jersey alternate route certification program is approximately $2,300. Corps members are able to pay in installments beginning in the fall.

Additionally, Camden corps members now have the alternative option of pursuing either their certification or their certification plus master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. The cost of this option would be the same as the cost for Philadelphia corps members described above.

Wilmington

Wilmington corps members who do not already have Delaware certification are required to enroll in Delaware’s Alternative Routes to Certification Program. All corps members teaching in Delaware are eligible to receive a standard certificate at the end of their second year of teaching.

Teach For America currently partners with Wilmington University to provide corps members with certification. Wilmington corps members attend regular classes at Wilmington University’s main campus. The cost of tuition for the program at Wilmington University is approximately $11,000 total for certification and a master’s degree. All corps members attending Wilmington University receive a master's degree in conjunction with their certification for no additional cost.