Make an impact on students and schools by seeking a teaching job in the diverse and exciting city of Los Angeles, California.
Searching for the right teaching position in Los Angeles for the school year?
Teach For America (TFA) could be a great option for you. Whether you’ve taught for several years, you’re making a career change into education, or if you’re just graduating from college, TFA is a unique opportunity to make an impact in students’ lives and serve the Los Angeles community.
Teach For America’s Approach
TFA recruits outstanding leaders from all backgrounds and career sectors to become TFA “corps members.” Corps members commit to teaching for two years, where they are full, salaried employees of local public schools and confront both the challenges and joys of expanding opportunities for kids. Many choose to continue teaching after their two-year TFA commitment ends.
Corps members develop into strong classroom leaders who go beyond traditional expectations to advance students’ academic and personal growth, while helping to strengthen schools. They work in the districts and schools most impacted by educational inequity.
In partnership with local universities like Loyola Marymount University, nonprofit organizations, and businesses around L.A., corps members receive initial training, ongoing professional development, and access to an unparalleled resource and support network.
TFA has more than 7,000 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 Los Angeles, and apply to teach as part of the Teach For America corps today.
Working in Los Angeles
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 in L.A. start at $44,000, but vary depending on the grade and subject level you teach.
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 about salary and benefits.
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
Teach For America L.A. partners with Loyola Marymount University to offer our corps members a master’s degree in the field of education. To finance tuition, corps members typically use their AmeriCorps Education Awards and partial tuition reimbursement benefits from their district. Learn more about L.A.’s Certification and Training.
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 other 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 Los Angeles support staff. Learn more about life after the corps.
105
Principals in Los Angeles who are TFA alumni, as of 2018. Hundreds more alumni serve as teachers in schools around the city.
Our 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 Los Angeles
For nearly 30 years, Teach For America has worked in partnership with L.A. school leaders and families to prepare students for success. As an original TFA site in 1990, TFA has been instrumental in accelerating change in L.A.’s education system, with dozens of TFA alumni in school systems leadership roles, more than a hundred serving as principals, and more than 800 alumni working as teachers.
As a TFA L.A. teacher, you’ll work in the Watts, South L.A., and Boyle Heights communities to meaningfully expand opportunities for students. You’ll use your background and leadership skills to drive students to academic success and transform lives.
Watch our Los Angeles video to learn about the specific impact TFA corps members are having in Los Angeles, 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.