DC Teaching Fellows

For nine years in Washington, D.C., professionals from all walks of life have made the decision to change their lives and the lives of students by teaching in DC Public Schools. Established in 2001 in partnership with DC Public Schools, the DC Teaching Fellows program upholds the conviction that public schools can work, but they must be staffed and led by our most talented and accomplished teachers.

We know that teacher quality is the most critical factor in raising student achievement for all students, regardless of background or socioeconomic status. An effective teacher has the ability to change the trajectory of student academic growth by accelerating students' learning so that they can catch up to their peers. Too often, however, our highest need students do not have enough good teachers. The DC Teaching Fellows program is changing this reality by recruiting and preparing high-quality, effective teachers who can raise student achievement in the classrooms most in need.

To achieve our goal of providing all students with access to excellent teachers, we are seeking passionate and accomplished individuals from all professional and academic backgrounds to make a commitment to achieving academic growth with students in DC's most challenging and traditionally underserved schools and communities.

In a high-need school, an effective teacher is one who consistently achieves average annual student growth of more than one year and ensures that at least 80% of students meet grade-level standards, are on track for on-time high school graduation, or meet other appropriate measures of student academic progress.

As a Fellow, you will join close to 900 talented individuals who have passed through a rigorous selection process and trained in an intensive 6 week training program to become teachers in the DC public schools. You will be enrolled in a state-approved teacher licensure program, the DC Practitioner Teacher Program, during your first year of teaching. You will receive a full-time teacher's salary, benefits, and resources from administrative program staff while teaching full-time in the District of Columbia Public Schools.

DC Teaching Fellows is committed to providing the District's students with creative, patient and flexible educators who will work relentlessly to ensure their academic success.