Aspire Teacher Residency

Aspire Public Schools, operates 38 high-performing, college-preparatory public charter schools serving 15,000 students in underserved communities across California and Memphis, Tenn. Founded in 1998, Aspire is one of the nation’s largest open-enrollment public charter school systems serving predominantly low-income students, delivering a rigorous College for Certain education to students in grades K-12. An unrelenting focus on college preparedness led to 100 percent of graduating Aspire seniors being accepted to four-year colleges or universities over the last six years. Currently in its 17th academic year, Aspire is one of the nation’s first charter school systems.

In collaboration with the University of the Pacific, the Aspire Teacher Residency (ATR) is an intensive teacher training program that recruits and trains talented individuals of all ages and backgrounds to become highly-effective teachers. Similar to the medical residency model, ATR prepares teachers by pairing theory and practice through master's level coursework and classroom practicum. The goal is to provide Teacher Residents with the theory and give them the opportunity to apply it in practice with the support of a successful Mentor Teacher.

ATR offers two programs:

ATR-California Program – Train at an Aspire school in California, then teach with Aspire in California for 3 years (or more!). Placements are available in East Palo Alto, Oakland, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto.

ATR-Memphis Program – Train at an Aspire school in Memphis, then teach with Aspire in Memphis for 3 years (or more!).

The programs offer:

• A Master of Arts in Education and Teaching Credential (Multiple Subject; Single Subject - English, Math, Science, or Social Studies; or Special Education – Mild/Moderate) from the University of the Pacific at a deeply discounted tuition rate
• A $13,500 stipend, plus medical benefits, for the first year
• The opportunity to work in a classroom with a highly-effective Mentor Teacher four days/week for an entire school year
• Priority hiring for a teaching position at an Aspire school and tuition-reimbursement benefits for Residents who successfully complete the first year
• ATR-Memphis Residents may also be eligible for a $600/month housing stipend in year 1, and relocation reimbursement to cover moving costs to California and/or Memphis (for those relocating from out of state).

Application deadlines for the 2016-2017 program are December 4, 2015 and March 11, 2016. Click here for more information on the application process.