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The Corps Experience
- Our Corps Members
- Videos By Corps Members
- Professionals and Grad Students in the Corps
- Becoming an Exceptional Teacher
- Training and Ongoing Support
- Your Teaching Assignment
- Placement Regions
- Alabama
- Atlanta
- Baltimore
- Bay Area
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- D.C. Region
- Dallas
- Detroit
- Eastern North Carolina
- Greater Boston
- Greater New Orleans
- Hawai'i
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Jacksonville
- Kansas City
- Las Vegas Valley
- Los Angeles
- Memphis
- Miami-Dade
- Mid-Atlantic
- Milwaukee
- Mississippi Delta
- Nashville
- New Mexico
- New York
- Newark
- Phoenix
- Rhode Island
- Rio Grande Valley
- San Antonio
- South Dakota
- South Louisiana
- St. Louis
- Tulsa
- Twin Cities
- Compensation
- Family and Friends
Overview
New Mexico is the “Land of Enchantment”: the diverse history and geography of this state can be found nowhere else. The northwest corner of New Mexico and the surrounding Four Corners region feature famed natural formations such as Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, Chaco Canyon, the Bisti Wilderness, and the Grand Canyon. The rich culture of New Mexico reflects the influence of Native American heritage that dates back 4,000 years, as well as Spanish, Mexican, and European historical settlements. Our towns in New Mexico are known for their central role in the historical development of southwestern culture, art and tradition. The grand and varied landscape provides many opportunities for recreation and personal enjoyment.
Life
Corps members live and teach in the northwestern corner of the state—including the city of Gallup, the Navajo Nation, and several Native American Pueblos, as well as the Acoma, Laguna and Zuni Pueblo, the largest of the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico. These locations cover over 12,000 square miles, five school districts and three counties. Whether in Gallup, on the reservation or in a pueblo, they find support through their fellow corps members, community, veteran teachers and alumni.
Gallup
Gallup (population 20,000) is a border town on the edge of the Navajo and Zuni Nations. Corps members who teach in Gallup live in town, in either houses or apartments, in the neighborhoods of their students and families. The city’s diverse population includes a mixture of many ethnicities, including Native American and Latino/Hispanic residents. With numerous restaurants, shopping centers, supermarkets, and movie theaters set against the natural landscape, Gallup is a wonderful place to live and a popular destination for members of the neighboring Nations. Currently, 47 percent of corps members live in Gallup.
Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo
Corps members who teach in the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo live within the boundaries of these sovereign nations in “teacherages,” which are school or district-managed homes provided to faculty and staff at each respective school. Teacherages make it possible for non-Native teachers to both teach and live in their school communities. Corps members who teach on the reservations live in remote areas that are often a 35-90 minute drive to the stores, restaurants, and other amenities of Gallup or Farmington. Currently, 53 percent of corps members teach in schools on the Navajo Nation or Zuni Pueblo.
Grants-Cibola County
Located half-way between Gallup and Albuquerque, Grants is a bustling western town set against the backdrop of Mt. Taylor. Known for its proximity to Bluewater Lake, El Malpais Wilderness, Cibola National Forest and volcanic caverns, Grants offers a truly wide array of outdoor activities mixed with small town atmosphere. Corps members who live in Grants teach both in Grants and at schools serving the Acoma and Laguna Pueblos.
Because Teach For America works to place corps members in the schools where they are needed most, and where they qualify to teach, New Mexico corps members should be willing to teach either in Gallup, Grants or on the reservation. Corps members should look forward to the diverse opportunities of placement in New Mexico and interacting with a variety of unique cultures. Owning a reliable car is a must for all corps members.
Corps Culture
Despite the rural nature of the region and the geographic distance between school communities, New Mexico corps members are a close-knit group who rally to support one another as colleagues, teachers, and friends. Corps members repeatedly demonstrate their desire to learn more about Acoma, Laguna, Navajo, Zuni, and Latino/Hispanic cultures, student achievement issues, and relationship building in their communities.
Corps members teaching in New Mexico have created and implemented a Corps Community Association, a professional learning community and leadership pipeline run by corps members, addressing their concerns and development. This association brings corps members into the program framework of our organization by coordinating professional educator development, planning regional conferences, developing media contacts and building strong community relationships. Within this structure, corps members demonstrate leadership and organization that positively impact classrooms across our region. This organization, as well as courses at local universities and ongoing staff support, helps corps members continually develop as educators. Classes, learning teams and social gatherings rotate between all locations, giving all corps members a chance to visit the many communities we serve.
Corps members often form close bonds with the many alumni who continue to teach in New Mexico. Over 67 percent of corps members return for a third year and remain active members of the Teach For America community.
Teaching
The need for excellent teachers is extremely critical in New Mexico, where many students are achieving significantly below grade level in core content areas such as reading, writing, and mathematics. Although placement needs vary each year, the need for special education teachers continues to be in high demand. New Mexico corps members currently teach in five school districts: Central Consolidated Schools (CCSD), Zuni Public Schools (ZPS), Bureau of Indian Affairs Schools (BIA), Grants-Cibola County Schools (GCCS) and Gallup-McKinley County Schools (GMCS). According to the “Early Prevention of School Failure” survey, students entering Gallup-McKinley County Schools are two and a half to three years behind the state average when they enter first grade. All but 14 schools in the entire state of New Mexico failed to meet state “adequate yearly progress” goals in 2007, including all schools in Gallup-McKinley County.
Students in all areas where corps members teach are predominantly Native American. However, corps members teaching in Gallup generally have very diverse classrooms with both Native American and Hispanic cultures being represented. The schools face a variety of challenges, particularly low student achievement and high dropout rates. New Mexico corps members have a tremendous opportunity to increase student achievement and, at the same time, learn how historical forces have affected the realities of contemporary Acoma, Laguna, Navajo, Zuni, and Latino/Hispanic life.
Certification and Testing
Professional development is critical to success in the classroom. As such, and in accordance with the state, New Mexico corps members must be enrolled in a state-approved alternative certification program. Once enrolled, corps members must complete at least nine credit hours (usually three classes) of education coursework annually in order to teach. Alternative licensure programs can lead to certification in two years, provided corps members take all required coursework. Hours vary by program: 21 Elementary, 18 Secondary, and 20 Special Education. Teach For America • New Mexico has partnered with the branch campuses of two universities that have state-approved alternative certification programs: Western New Mexico University-Gallup Graduate Studies Center (WNMU) and University of New Mexico-Gallup (UNM-Gallup). Corps members must enroll and take courses at either university to receive their Internship license. These courses typically cost corps members $1,500 per year. In addition, both WNMU and UNM-Gallup offer a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program and a teaching certificate option.
All new teachers must also pass the New Mexico Teacher Assessments during their first year of teaching and fulfill the requirements of a state-mandated mentoring program, usually offered through the school district, in order to maintain certification. Currently, after completing their first year of teaching, most corps members are able to pay second-year certification costs with AmeriCorps education awards, which amount to $4,725 per year. Accepted applicants who are assigned to New Mexico will receive further information about certification and testing requirements.
| Elementary | 49% |
| Secondary | 51% |
| Special Education | 12% |
| Teach at a school with another corps member or alumnus | 94% |
Placements Available
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Living and Education Expenses
| Salary | $30,000 - $33,000 |
| Taxes | 19.67% |
| Housing Single | $250 - $350 |
| Housing Shared | $150 - $400 |
| Health Insurance | $80 |
| Utilities | $60 |
| Daycare | N/A / month |
| Monthly Tranist Pass | N/A |
| Car Insurance | $90 |
| Car Required | Access to car is essential |
| Testing Costs | $276 - $365 |
| Up-front Certification Costs | $99 |
| How do you pay start-up costs? | Out-of-pocket |
| Ongoing Certification Costs | $4,200 |
| Use AmeriCorps award for testing/certification costs? | Yes |
| How is teaching certification structured in this state/region? | 2 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 | $3,500 |
| Partner Universities | University of New Mexico – Gallup, Western New Mexico University – Gallup, New Mexico Highlands 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.
