St. Louis
Overview
Students in the city of St. Louis face a very different educational reality than their higher-income peers in surrounding St. Louis County schools.
Although only eight miles separate the city of St. Louis from the county seat of Clayton, 49 percent of St. Louis Public Schools students graduate from high school, compared to 97 percent of students attending school in Clayton. Over 90 percent of the students in St. Louis’ low-income schools are African-American, and less than 10 percent of seventh-graders in these schools achieve a proficient score in Communication Arts on the Missouri Assessment Program state exam. St. Louis has a great need for strong teachers and leaders of education reform to join the dedicated St. Louis community in eliminating educational inequity.
Life
With 79 unique and culturally diverse neighborhoods and a low cost of living, St. Louis corps members have many housing options to choose from. Some corps members live in the beautiful turn-of-the-century homes turned apartments of the Central West End, which draws residents seeking eclectic restaurants, trendy art galleries, and cozy neighborhood pubs. Other corps members prefer young, vibrant Soulard or downtown St. Louis, where they reside in newly restored French-influenced Victorian homes and early 20th century factory buildings-turned lofts. Corps members also live in the diverse Tower Grove and Shaw neighborhoods, near the Missouri Botanical Gardens, where one can find an array of ethnic restaurants, neighborhood cafes, local bars, and independent bookstores.
Corps Culture
St. Louis has a strong sense of community which fosters a tightly-knit corps. St. Louis staff members help to cultivate strong professional relationships with corps members in many ways.
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Buddy System - pairing incoming corps members with returning corps members early in the summer to provide additional support and perspective to the incoming corps.
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Program Director Team Dinners – dinners are held throughout the year with around 35 new and returning corps members and are hosted by the Program Directors who support corps member professional development.
The St. Louis corps focuses on building community and on continually improving teaching skills. This has had a dramatic impact in St. Louis.
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The 2009 St. Louis Teacher of the Year is Emily Massengale (St. Louis Corps ‘06). She is one of six finalists for Missouri Teacher of the Year.
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Two Teach For America alumnae are principals in St. Louis Public Schools and one alumnus is the principal of the new KIPP Inspire Academy in St. Louis.
St. Louis corps members find success during and after their two years in the classroom because of their commitment to continually improving and the strong support of community leaders.
Teaching
Teach For America closely collaborates with our largest placement partner, St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS). The SLPS district and its school leaders have shown tremendous support of the St. Louis corps by recognizing our corps members’ training, professional development, and energy. The district also provides additional professional development to St. Louis corps members through district training opportunities and on-site Teaching and Learning Facilitators.
About 15 percent of St. Louis corps members are placed in charter schools and the Normandy and Wellston school districts. As the impact of the St. Louis corps expands, Teach For America will increase the number of district and charter partnerships and work very closely with their leadership in order to provide dramatic academic growth for St. Louis students.
View a map of our placement areas.
Certification and Testing
St. Louis corps members are Highly Qualified under No Child Left Behind to teach on a provisional certificate, which is valid throughout their two-year teaching commitment. Provisional certificates are nonrenewable and lead to full initial certification. In order to qualify for the provisional certificate, all corps members are required to complete nine credit hours of certification coursework through Buena Vista University during their first semester of teaching and complete an academic contract. All St. Louis corps members will also be required to pass a PRAXIS II content area exam.
St. Louis corps members have the opportunity to gain initial certification by the end of their two-year commitment and also a master’s degree in education. All St. Louis corps members are required to take initial certification coursework through the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL). Certification coursework begins during the first semester of teaching and continues throughout the two-year teaching commitment. UMSL offers optional coursework that can be used toward a master's in elementary, secondary, and special education as well.
Placements
| Elementary |
20% |
| Secondary |
80% |
| Teach at a school with another corps member or alumnus |
96% |
Placements Available
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general subject elementary
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specific subject secondary (math, science, English, Spanish, French)
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special education
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Living and Education Expenses
Salary and Taxes
| Salary |
$30,000 - $3,600 |
| Taxes |
21.67% - 22.41% |
Cost of Living
| Housing Single |
$900 |
| Housing Shared |
$600 |
| Health Insurance |
$0 |
| Utilities |
$60 |
| Daycare |
$600 / month |
| Monthly Tranist Pass |
$68 |
| Car Insurance |
$150 |
| Car Required |
Access to car is essential |
Start-up Costs
| Testing Costs |
$115 - $150 |
| Up-front Certification Costs |
$1,485 |
| How do you pay start-up costs? |
Out-of-pocket |
Ongoing Costs through the Two-year Commitment
| Ongoing Certification Costs |
$6,200 - $6,500 |
| 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 |
$4,800 - $5,600 |
| Partner Universities |
Buena Vista University and University of Missouri – St. Louis |
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.
