Becoming a Teaching Fellow is your opportunity to give back to the Phoenix community by teaching students in the subject areas where your expertise is needed the most. Candidates accepted into the Phoenix Teaching Fellows will be assigned to train for and teach in a specific subject area as part of their offer to join the program. The subject to which Fellows are assigned is based on teaching eligibility, district need, and—whenever possible—the candidate’s stated preferences. We are currently recruiting for math, science, special education, and language arts Teaching Fellows to teach in K-8 classrooms (K-12 in Yuma). Eligibility is determined according to strict district, state, and certification partner requirements, which stipulate that in order to teach a subject, candidates must demonstrate competence in a subject. Fellows must pass the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment (AEPA) Subject Knowledge exam in order to begin the PTF training institute and to start teaching full time in the fall. Review the testing requirements section of this website for more information on the AEPA.
Fellows can work to close the achievement gap by securing district teaching positions that enable them to work tirelessly with students in high-need classrooms. The Fellows’ search for a teaching position with a specific school is called the district hiring process. The program office will help to coordinate Fellows’ job search by directing them to schools in Murphy Elementary, Phoenix Elementary, and Roosevelt School Districts with vacancies in their subject area and, where possible, arranging interviews with school hiring representatives directly. While the program office works hard to connect Fellows to existing vacancies and provide resources to navigate the district hiring process, it is ultimately the responsibility of each Fellow to secure a teaching position.
The district hiring process also can be challenging. Due to mobility within the school system, it is often difficult to predict exact vacancies until very close to, and in some cases just after, the beginning of the school year. The job search process is typically experienced in phases and will therefore look different before, during and after summer training. Securing a teaching position is an extensive process for which Fellows are ultimately responsible. Acceptance in PhxTF is not a guarantee of employment. While Phoenix Teaching Fellows works diligently to make districts aware of our available Fellows, Fellows must demonstrate their potential to principals in order to secure their teaching positions. Fellows may secure their teaching positions through job fairs, individual on-site interviews with principals and assistant principals, or through central district personnel. Teaching Fellows will receive more detailed information on the district hiring process once they have been accepted to and have enrolled in the program.
It is the mission of the Phoenix Teaching Fellows to work in schools with the highest need for teachers. As a result, all candidates must be flexible about their teaching assignment and should be prepared to teach wherever they are most needed. Teaching Fellows will embark on their new careers addressing inequities in education, by setting high expectations for the students in their classrooms and dedicating themselves to impacting these students’ achievement. We call on you to accept the urgent challenge to make a difference in schools in most need of high-quality educators.
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