Living & Expenses 2011
Salary
Salary
$43,000
$43,000
Cost of Living
Housing Costs (single)
$600–$1,300
$600–$1,300
Housing Costs (shared)
$400–$800
$400–$800
Health Insurance
$0–$115
$0–$115
Utilities
$60–$150
$60–$150
Daycare
$400–$1,000
$400–$1,000
Monthly Transit Pass
N/A
N/A
Car Required
Yes
Yes
Car Insurance
$100
$100
Start-Up
Costs
Testing Costs
$240–$480
$240–$480
Up Front Certification Costs
How Do You Pay Start-Up Costs
Out of pocket
Out of pocket
Ongoing Costs Through the Two-Year Commitment
Ongoing Certification Costs
$5,000–$7,000
$5,000–$7,000
Use Americorps award for testing/certification
No
No
How is teaching certification structured in this state/region?
One year – through training partner
One year – through training partner
Is it possible to complete a master's degree at the end of the two years?
No
No
Is a master's degree required?
No
No
Partner Universities
Teacher Certification Information
Our corps members earn Texas teacher certification through Texas Teaching Fellows (TTF), a non-profit alternative certification program created by The New Teacher Project. TTF’s research-based Teaching for Results professional development model offers corps members the opportunity for ongoing, individualized support in addition to the strong support offered by the Teach For America staff.
All Texas teacher candidates are required to demonstrate content mastery in their teaching subject area via a series of state exams, and TTF offers corps members online test prep webinars and practice TExES exams. In order to be recommended for a Standard Certificate, corps members must:
- successfully complete a full year of teaching in the same position
- fulfill all tuition and testing requirements
- remain in good standing with the program and school district
- demonstrate a positive impact on student achievement
- receive a positive recommendation from their principal
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.
Teach For America was named one of Fortune magazine's top 100 employers to work for.
Teach For America was named one of America's top 100 Ideal Employers in Universum's 2011 American Student Survey.