Why should I become part of the Miami Teaching Fellows?
What kind of background do I need?

How do I know if I am eligible?
How do I apply?
What happens after I apply?
What college coursework do I need?
How long is this commitment?
How much will I be paid?
Are there any preparatory exams that I should take?
Will I be paid over the summer?
Will I receive certification?
Where will I teach?
Will I be teaching with other program participants at my school?
What is the application deadline?
When does the program actually begin?
Do I need to be a resident of Miami-Dade County to apply?
Can I defer acceptance into the program?
Are certified teachers eligible for the program?

 The Miami Teaching Fellows is designed for individuals who are looking for socially meaningful work and for new challenges. By accepting an offer to join the Fellowship, you will be able to impact the lives of your students daily, and your hard work and dedication will influence students for a lifetime. Multiple studies have proven that teacher quality is one of the most significant determinants of students’ success.  With this knowledge in mind, the Miami Teaching Fellows’ alternate route to teaching focuses on recruiting, selecting, and training talented and successful individuals to shape the future of education in Miami-Dade County.
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What kind of background do I need?
There is no one profile for an ideal Miami Teaching Fellows candidate; the Fellows will span a wide range of ages and backgrounds and bring to the program a diverse set of talents and skills. Strong candidates are those who are committed to having a positive effect on student achievement, who display excellence in their previous endeavors, and who are dedicated to challenging, reaching, and influencing students – especially those in under-resourced areas – on a daily basis.
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How do I know if I am eligible?
Candidates to the Fellows program should review the strict requirements laid out on this website to check if they meet the eligibility for the Miami Teaching Fellows program. Please visit the Eligibility page for detailed information.
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How do I apply?
To apply to the Miami Teaching Fellows, candidates must a) complete and submit an online application that includes attaching a resume and answers to application questions and b) be prepared to provide the program office with copies of official college transcripts if invited to interview.
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Applicants who submit a complete application will be notified within two weeks of their application status. If granted an interview, candidates will have the ability to select their interview date and time via an online scheduler. Please be prepared to provide, at minimum, an unofficial copy of your transcript at your interview, although  official transcripts are highly preferred. A total of three copies of your official transcripts will be required if accepted to the Fellowship; therefore, we recommend that you request a total of three copies of your official transcripts in order to be prepared. Final acceptance will not be made until we have received transcripts from every college and/or university attended.

What college coursework do I need?
No previous education coursework is required. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree (conferred by June, 2008) with a minimum GPA of 3.0. (GPA exceptions may be made for candidates who demonstrate exceptional achievement elsewhere).

If invited to interview, applicants must provide, at minimum, unofficial college/university transcripts from all institutions attended, although official transcripts are highly preferred. A total of three copies of official transcripts will be required if accepted into the Fellowship; therefore, we recommend that you request a total of three copies of your official transcripts in order to be prepared. Fellows may not begin the Training Institute if we have not received transcripts from every college and/or university attended.
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How long is this commitment?

We hope that Fellows will make a lifetime commitment to public education in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The ambitious goal of the Miami Teaching Fellows is to build a network of Miami-Dade County teachers passionate about educational equity and ready to work actively to achieve results in their classrooms on a daily basis, alongside other M-DCPS teachers with the same focus.  Fellows receive their certification after two consecutive years of teaching, assuming they complete AP3 requirements on time and are in good standing with the district.  We expect all Teaching Fellow candidates to teach for a minimum of three years. However, outstanding individuals who enter the teaching profession through the Fellows program have the opportunity to continue on as a strong network of educational leaders making a difference in M-DCPS and fulfilling our shared mission of closing the achievement gap for years to come.

Are there any preparatory exams that I should take?
All Fellows must take and pass the appropriate required Subject Area Examination (SAE) and the General Knowledge (GK) portion of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) before entering the classroom. Although registering for the FTCE is not a requirement for your initial application, we strongly recommend that you register for the GK exam as soon as possible.

Candidates invited to interview with Miami Teaching Fellows will be provided additional information on which SAE test –and test administration date-- is appropriate, given their academic background. Candidates will receive explicit direction regarding the SAE tests and dates with their invitation to interview and/or following the interview event itself. Depending on subject area, some tests may be available as computer-based examinations, while others require a paper-based administration. All examinations are pre-scheduled and administered at a designated test site.

For more information and to register for the GK exam, please click here.

The Miami Teaching Fellows office must have all passing test scores or proof of registration for the required FTCEs on file prior to the start of the summer training institute. Fellows who fail to file their scores will not be allowed to assume teaching responsibilities.
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Will I be paid over the summer?
Upon successful completion of the summer training session, Fellows are provided with a stipend to help defer living costs. This year’s stipend will be a taxable $1,500 for the summer. Because the time between the start of training and a Fellow’s first paycheck may be lengthy (possibly June to September), we encourage Fellows to take appropriate measures to ensure their financial well-being during this time.
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Will I receive certification?
All candidates who are accepted into the Miami Teaching Fellows will be granted a Florida Temporary Certificate in the subject area to which they are assigned by the program and for which they will need to submit an application to the Florida Bureau of Educator Certification. The Miami Teaching Fellows office will help manage the application process for all Fellows to help ensure that subject area specifications are met over the course of the summer institute training.

The Temporary Certificate is granted by the state to allow outstanding individuals with no previous education coursework the opportunity to teach – while they are gaining valuable classroom teaching experience and enrolling in an alternative certification program.

In order to qualify for a full Professional Educator’s Certificate from the State of Florida, Miami Teaching Fellows will enroll in M-DCPS’ alternate certification program, called the Alternative Professional Preparation Program (AP3). The program is a competency-based, on-the-job alternative certification program. Fellows will enroll in the program once they begin teaching and will be able to complete the program during their first two years of their teaching.

Upon completion of the AP3, along with the successful completion of other eligibility requirements -- such as professional development workshops and the Florida Professional Educator Examination -- Fellows will be granted a full Professional Educator’s Certificate from the State of Florida.

For more information on Florida’s existing approved preparation/certification programs, click here
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Where will I teach?

Fellows will be placed in schools all across Miami-Dade County - at every grade level - to begin teaching at the start of the 2008-2009 school year. School, grade, and subject level determinations will be based on the qualifications of each Fellow and on the needs of the schools, taking into account the preference of the Fellow whenever possible.

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Will I be teaching with other program participants at my school?
When possible, we will work to cluster program participants in the same school. However, because school placements occur after participants are selected for the program, individuals will not know their specific teaching assignments prior to accepting our offer into the Fellowship.

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What is the application deadline?
We are currently accepting application.  Our regular deadline is April 14, 2008. Due to the large volume of applications received and the selective nature of this program, candidates are highly encourage to apply early.
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When does the program actually begin?
The 2008 Miami Teaching Fellows Summer Institute is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-June, lasting for five weeks.  After they enroll, Fellows will be provided with a few pre-training exercises to complete, including visiting a classroom (in any city) and reading the central institute text.

The Miami Teaching Fellows training consolidates a great deal of training time into only a few weeks; thus, training is extremely demanding. Fellows must attend training five days a week. The typical daily schedule is from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Due to the critical part that training plays in the Miami Teaching Fellows program, Fellows cannot miss any portion of the training.
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Do I need to be a resident of Miami-Dade County to apply?
No. You do not need to be a resident of Miami-Dade County to apply. Each year, a number of Fellows relocate to Miami to join the program. For more information on living in Miami, please click here.
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Can I defer acceptance into the program?
No. Once accepted, it is not possible to defer acceptance into the program due to the large numbers of applicants hoping to receive a teaching position each year.
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Are certified teachers eligible for the program?
Certified teachers are not eligible for the Miami Teaching Fellows. This program is designed specifically as an alternate route to teaching for outstanding mid-career professionals who are committed to improving the quality of education offered to students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Fellows will be required to earn a teaching certificate while assuming full-time teaching responsibilities.
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