If admitted to the corps, you are expected to submit to any and all background checks required by school districts, charter schools, other employers, Teach For America, and other relevant agencies.

Teach For America reserves the right to deny admission to or dismiss any corps member who has been involved in a criminal proceeding other than minor traffic violations, regardless of the outcome.

Teach For America is not responsible for finding alternative placements for corps members who cannot be hired or who are fired by their assigned school districts because of their criminal records or involvement in criminal proceedings, or who are deemed ineligible by Teach For America due to criminal history. In addition, Teach For America reserves the right to inform the school district in which the corps member is teaching or planning to teach of the corps member’s conviction records or ongoing involvement in criminal proceedings.

If, through background checks conducted or commissioned by a state, district, or Teach For America, it is found that an applicant or a corps member did not disclose their involvement in a criminal proceeding in the application as required and described therein, this may be treated as falsification or misrepresentation, which are grounds for dismissal from the corps.

If a background check conducted or reviewed by Teach For America yields a criminal record that would preclude an applicant or corps member from service, the applicant or corps member will be notified of the finding and have the opportunity to review and challenge the factual accuracy of the record before action is taken to exclude the applicant or corps member from the position. In such cases, details on the process for obtaining and challenging the results of the background check will be included in the notification of findings.