The Rio Grande Valley is consistently ranked as one of the most economical places to live and a teacher’s salary provides for a comfortable lifestyle. Outside of the classroom, our corps members can be found underneath the lights at Friday night football games, jogging and biking on our extensive trails, relaxing on South Padre Island, and enjoying our vibrant music scene.
Eligibility Requirements
- 2.5 GPA
- DACA+ region
- Prior teaching certificates accepted if in a certification area in which the region places corps members
DACA+
We have corps members and alumni who are DACA recipients teaching and working in school districts across the region. Our community is full of immigrants so is sensitive to ensuring that teachers can be role models of all types.
LGBTQ+ Legal Protections
Even though Texas does not provide legal protections for LGBTQ+ employees, we have a growing community of LGBTQ+ educators in our Teach For America network. Our region has a PRISM board, a group of LGBTQ+ educators and allies who provide support for both students and fellow educators. They love connecting with prospective corps members and ensuring safe spaces for both students and educators. On June 15, 2020, the Court ruled in a 6–3 decision covering all three cases that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is necessarily also discrimination "because of sex" as prohibited by Title VII.
ADA Accommodations
Teach For America and our partner school districts welcome teachers with disabilities and provide reasonable accommodations as requested.
Community Supports
We provide spaces for participation in virtual, national identity-based affinity groups. Additionally, corps members regularly form new groups based on interests and needs in the region. Our PRISM chapter includes both LGBTQ+ educators and allies and works to ensure safe spaces for all students and educators in the region.
Because our communities vary so widely in size, there is a range of access to religious and other cultural supports. McAllen and Brownsville contain the most diversity but even our more outlying communities commute to have access the these services. Corps members of diverse backgrounds who have sought out community have been able to do so in our region but it might require more effort than in a larger, urban region.