Our Mission

St. Louis Teacher Residency (STLTR) recruits, trains, and supports high-quality teachers who are committed to the city’s public schools. Through a model of rigorous clinical preparation, St. Louis Teacher Residency prepares aspiring teachers who are capable of accelerating student achievement from the moment they enter the classroom as a teacher of record.

St. Louis Teacher Residency is designed as a two-year program, leading candidates to earn their Missouri teacher certification in the areas of elementary or middle school language arts, math, or science at the end of their initial apprenticeship year. In the second year, candidates become a lead teacher-of-record in their partner school while continuing to pursue their Master’s degree with our university partner.

Core Beliefs

In steadfast support of our teachers, and the students, families, and communities they serve, St. Louis Teacher Residency is founded upon and committed to three core beliefs.

• Every student in St. Louis deserves an effective teacher.
• Great teaching results from an understanding of theory, intensive practice, and an ongoing commitment to excellence.
• Teachers thrive in a supportive and joyful professional community, which encourages critical feedback and reflection.

Impact

By training teachers specifically for an urban classroom and context, STLTR plays an integral role in eliminating the educational inequity that persists in the St. Louis region along economic and racial lines. Additionally, STLTR will work to address the teacher shortages in St. Louis by scaling from an initial cohort of 30 teachers in 2018 to a cohort of 90 teachers in its fifth year of operation.  In this way, STLTR will impact almost 2,500 new students in each year of operation, with program graduates teaching in 255 high-needs classrooms by year five.