Are you searching for a teaching position in Chicago or Northwest Indiana for the school year?

Teach For America (TFA) could be a great option, offering you a unique opportunity to make an impact in students’ lives and serve the Chicago and Northwest Indiana Community. 

Teach For America’s Approach

TFA recruits outstanding leaders from all backgrounds and career sectors to become TFA “corps members.” This includes people just graduating college, people who have previously taught or worked in education, and people who are considering a career change. 

Corps members commit to teaching for two years, where they are full, salaried employees of local public schools that are most impacted by education inequity. During this time, corps members grow into strong classroom leaders, who go beyond traditional expectations to advance students’ academic and personal growth, while helping to strengthen schools. During their time in the corps, they confront the challenges—and the joys—of expanding opportunities for kids. Many corps members choose to continue teaching after their two-year TFA commitment ends.

In partnership with local universities partners, such as Calumet College of St. Joseph and Relay Graduate School of Education, nonprofit organizations, and businesses around Chicago and Northwest Indiana, corps members receive initial training, ongoing professional development, and access to an unparalleled resource and support network. 

Teach For America has 6,200 corps members in 50 regions, reaching more than 400,000 students in 2,500 schools.

While specific regional placement is not guaranteed, 80 percent of TFA's applicants are assigned to their most preferred location. We know that your personal location preferences are important. Read more below about our placement process.  

Corps Member Eligibility

In order to be considered for a position with TFA, you must have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 and U.S. citizenship, national/legal resident status, or be a DACA recipient. You are not required to have a background in education.

In addition to these eligibility requirements, we seek people have a deep belief in the potential of every child, a strong record of achievement, and perseverance in the face of challenges, among other key values and experiences. Read more about the characteristics of strong corps members.

Redefine Your Career

Learn more about teaching in Chicago-Northwest Indiana, and apply to teach as part of the Teach For America corps today.

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Working in Chicago and Northwest Indiana

As a corps member, you will be required to complete steps to become highly qualified in the subject(s) you’ll teach and work toward full teaching certification during your two-year commitment. Learn more about earning your teaching license and getting hired at a school. 

Salary

You’ll receive a salary and benefits from the school district, charter school, or pre-K center where you work. 

You’ll be paid the same as other beginning teachers working for the same employer. Salaries for new teachers range from $38,000 to $51,000 in Chicago-Northwest Indiana.

Benefits

As a full-time TFA teacher, you are entitled to medical benefits through your school or district. Plans and costs vary, depending on where you teach. Read more on salary and benefits and take a look at the cost of living in Chicago-Northwest Indiana. 

You may also be eligible for additional financial incentives exclusively available to TFA corps members. Learn more about financial aid, including transitional funding packages.

Master’s Degree Option

While corps members in Illinois are required to complete a master’s degree to receive their license, that’s not the case for teachers in Northwest Indiana, where a master’s is optional. If you pursue a master’s degree, you can do so through the region’s university partners (Calumet College of St. Joseph and Relay Graduate School of Education). 

To finance tuition, corps members typically use their AmeriCorps Education Awards and partial tuition reimbursement benefits from their district. Learn more about certification and training in Chicago-Northwest Indiana. 

After Two Years

After your two-year commitment with TFA, you may choose to stay in the classroom for additional years of teaching. Some TFA alumni go on to work in school leadership, and many others go on to impact educational equity from another sector.

We are dedicated to making sure you have the resources and support you need to lead and continue to work towards change, with a dedicated TFA Chicago-Northwest Indiana support staff. Learn more about life after the corps.

Teach For America’s Placement Process

TFA corps members teach in 50 regions. After applying and interviewing for TFA, you’ll have the opportunity to rank the regions where you prefer to teach.

Our placement process is designed to assign you to the region(s) you’re most interested in as best as possible, since we know that landing in a region that matches your priorities is important. A majority of applicants are placed in one of their top regional choices.

After applying, you must select and rank 10 TFA regions where you want to teach, one of which must be a region we’ve designated as “high priority.” Read more about our placement process.

Make an Impact in Chicago or Northwest Indiana

Teach For America has been in the region since 2000, placing thousands of corps members in Chicago, East Chicago, Gary, and Hammond. A majority of alumni—67 percent—work in education after their time in the corps. Alumni lead high-impact education organization in Chicago (such as OneGoal, The Chicago Public Education Fund, and the Noble Network of Charter Schools) as well as being policymakers. 

As a corps member, you’ll join a passionate community of leaders dedicated to improving educational opportunities for students in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.  You’ll use your background and leadership skills to drive students to academic success and transform lives. 

Find out more about what it’s like to be a part of this movement in Chicago-Northwest-Indiana, watch a video on TFA’s work in the region, and start your application to join the work today.

Apply Today

Make an impact on students. Apply to be a corps member with Teach For America today.

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