Are you interested in a teaching position in Memphis this upcoming school year?
With Teach For America (TFA), you’ll have a unique opportunity to make an impact in students’ lives and serve the Memphis community. At Teach For America, we welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including experienced teachers, recent (or soon-to-be) college graduates, and professionals interested in switching career paths.
Discover Teach For America’s Approach
Teach For America’s corps members have one thing in common: They’re all outstanding leaders. TFA recruits from all backgrounds and career sectors. 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, nonprofit organizations, and businesses around Memphis, corps members receive initial training, ongoing professional development, and access to an unparalleled resource and support network.
TFA 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 Memphis, and apply to teach as part of the Teach For America corps today.
Working in Memphis
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 and Benefits
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 range from $42,000 to $46,000 for new teachers in Memphis. 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.
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
As a corps member in Memphis, you’ll earn your teaching license during your two-year commitment to TFA through the region’s certification program. No outside certification work or classes are required.
You do not have to complete a master’s degree if you join Teach For America Memphis. However, if you are interested, the region has partnerships with two graduate schools for corps members interested in pursuing an advanced degree: we have a local partnership with Christian Brothers University (M.Ed) and a national partnership with Johns Hopkins University (MSEd).
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 Memphis.
After Your Two-Year Commitment With TFA
You may choose to stay in the classroom for additional years of teaching after your two-year commitment to being in the corps. 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 Memphis support staff. Learn more about life after the corps
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Corps members
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Local Alumni
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Alumni Teachers
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Alumni School Leaders
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 Memphis
Teach For America has been in Memphis since 2006. Corps members in Memphis—along with alumni, students, families, advocates, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and community members—are all working together to have a positive impact on student narratives, and change the narrative about what’s possible within the city.
As a corps member, you’ll grow as a leader, and have an impact that extends beyond academic achievement. Memphis alumni effect change at all levels, serving as teachers, deans, school leaders, school system leaders, and working in education, policy leadership roles, and social entrepreneurship.
Teach For America Memphis partners with schools across Shelby County, with all placement schools within a roughly 20-minute drive from the TFA office in midtown Memphis.
Learn more about the Memphis 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.