Tulsa
Overview
In our charter year, Teach For America • Tulsa welcomed a corps of more than 80 of the nation’s most promising future leaders who are teaching in our city’s lowest-income classrooms and working to ensure their students have the educational opportunities they deserve.
Working hand-in-hand with Tulsa Public Schools and the Community Action Project has allowed our corps to have the opportunity to impact over 5,700 students. The unprecedented collaboration of district leaders, community funders, and school leaders with Teach For America has established Tulsa as a city primed for significant education reform.
Life
With just under one million people in the metro area of Tulsa, the city has many big city benefits while maintaining the luxuries of a smaller city. Tulsa houses five professional sports teams, a major zoo and aquarium, and a brand-new arena that draws all major artists and performers. Traffic is minimal, housing is affordable, and the economy is doing very well in comparison to the rest of the nation. As a result, Forbes recently listed Tulsa as number five on their “America’s Most Livable Cities” list. Corps members have found it easy in finding apartments and houses to rent, from South Tulsa to downtown. Partnerships with two of the biggest apartment realtors in town allow corps members to get a variety of discounts on affordable living. The city of Tulsa as a whole is great for cost of living. Corps Members have found it easy to relax in one of Tulsa’s many parks, or go out on the town with variety of Tulsa nightlife.
Corps Culture
Being a charter corps is what truly draws the Tulsa corps members together. Corps members are motivated and united by knowing that the impact they make will be closely watched all around the city. A good majority of the corps in Tulsa have at least two other corps members in their school, and some schools have closer to ten corps members in one school. Prominent Teach For America alumni, including Pastor Ray Owens, who was a corps member in Los Angeles in the charter year of Teach For America, call Tulsa their home. Being a charter corps with the same mission in mind has allowed the Tulsa corps to become close friends, plan many outings together, and live in close quarters with one another for quick access to personal and professional support.
Teaching
There are a few unique needs for Teach For America in Tulsa. Tulsa places corps members in Community Action Project (CAP), a national leader in early childhood education. Community leaders also actively seek out partnership for Teach For America in Tulsa. One of the greatest advantages is that Teach For America has active participation in district decisions.
View a map of our placement areas.
Certification and Testing
Incoming corps members are required to take one subject-specific test, either the Praxis II or the OSAT. We are in the workings of establishing a university partnership and are excited and confident that these offerings will be made available to corps members in fall of 2010.
Placements
| Elementary |
36% |
| Secondary |
64% |
| Teach at a school with another corps member or alumnus |
100% |
Living and Education Expenses
Salary and Taxes
| Salary |
$33,000 |
| Taxes |
19.23% |
Cost of Living
| Housing Single |
$550 - $800 |
| Housing Shared |
$400 - $600 |
| Health Insurance |
$60 |
| Utilities |
$60 |
| Daycare |
$400 - $520 / month |
| Monthly Tranist Pass |
N/A |
| Car Insurance |
$150 |
| Car Required |
Access to car is essential |
Start-up Costs
| Testing Costs |
$165 |
| Up-front Certification Costs |
N/A |
| 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? |
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 |
-1 |
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.