FAQs

When does the 2011-2012 program begin and end?

The 2011-2012 MTR Residency Year will begin on Thursday, June 2, 2011. Residents may arrive and move into their housing between Tuesday, May 31 and Thursday, June 2. MTR Orientation will take place Thursday, June 2 – Friday, June 10. Masters coursework will begin on Monday, June 13th. The 12-month Residency will end on Friday, May 25, 2012.

While the Residency training is a one-year program, the MTR requires a three-year teaching commitment in a Memphis urban school following the residency year. The MTR continues to provide graduates with formal and informal support and professional development during their first three years of teaching.

What will my schedule look like?

The 12-month residency will look like the following: Residents will initiate the Master of Arts in Urban Education with intensive coursework in the summer, continue with Master’s classes during the academic year while placed as a Resident-Teacher with a Mentor-Teacher Monday through Thursday for the entire school year, and graduate with a M.A.Ed in May 2011.

Click here for a detailed view of the Residency Calendar:

Must I commit to teaching in the Memphis City Schools?For how long?

MTR graduates commit to teaching in a Memphis urban school. The vast majority of residents will end up teaching in the Memphis City Schools. However, some residents may end up teaching in an urban public Charter school, urban Catholic school or private urban Christian school. Residents commit to teaching in any of these schools for a minimum of three years following graduation. Upon completion of the three-year commitment, MTR forgives the entire training cost funded by the MTR during the residency year. Should you not complete the three year teaching commitment, you will be required to repay the MTR a portion of the investment made in your training. MTR will forgive 1/3 of your loan for every one year you teach in a Memphis urban school. The value of the training – and therefore the amount of the loan – will be $30,000.

Does MTR train Residents in all grade levels and all subject areas?

For the 2011-2012 Residency year, the MTR trains Residents for Elementary Education and Secondary Education in the subject areas of Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Spanish, English and History. Preference into the Secondary Education program will be given to those applying to teach in the Math, Sciences and Spanish content areas.

How are Residents matched with Mentor-Teachers?

Residents will be placed with Mentor-Teachers in their content and grade level area, and are usually clustered with a small number of other residents at the same host school.

Mentors are recruited and selected by the MTR through principal recommendations, unannounced observations, personal interviews and student achievement data.

From which institution do I receive my Master’s Degree?

Residents earn a Master’s in Urban Education from Union University.

Where are the classes held?

Courses are offered at MTR’s urban campus at 2181 Union Avenue, in the heart of Memphis. Courses are offered to our cohort of Residents only due to the unique characteristics and needs of our program. See Partner Schools Map>>

Does MTR provide housing?

Yes. MTR provides apartments for all Residents within the Georgian Woods Apartment Complex, 2451 Union Avenue. The Residents will be in the same complex, with two Residents per apartment. The apartments are a half-mile from the MTR campus. Additionally, the MTR housing is located in the very center of the Memphis, making all school placements extremely accessible. For families (and other few exceptions), the MTR may allow for a housing allowance in lieu of the required apartment option.

Will utilities be covered? Are the apartments furnished?

No. Residents are responsible for their own utilities. With reasonable usage, utilities average $100-$150 per apartment per month($50-$75 per resident). Residents will also be responsible for furnishing their own apartments upon relocating to Memphis. Apartments do come with a stove, oven and refrigerator. Laundry facilities are available within the complex, but not in individual apartments.

How many Residents will MTR accept for the 2010-2011 year?

Ideally, the MTR plans to train 30-35 Residents during the 2011-2012 program year. Of these, we expect to invite 10 elementary teachers and 20-25 secondary teachers.

How competitive is the MTR Selection Process?

Our selection process is quite competitive. We expect to invite approximately 20% of our applicants to join our MTR Class of 2011-2012. We are looking for outstanding persons who have the desire and potential to be Master-Teachers of excellence in Memphis’ high-need schools.

How much is the stipend?

Each (non-parent) Resident will receive a stipend of $12,000 for the full year of June 2011 – May 2012. For Residents with children (living with the Resident and under the age of 18) the stipend is $18,000. The stipend will be paid in twelve equal monthly installments, beginning on June 1st, and then on the 15th of each month, beginning July 15th through May 15th.

Does MTR offer health insurance?

For residents desiring medical insurance, the MTR provides access to affordable healthcare through Union University's provider, United Healthcare.

You can find m0re information about healthcare coverage here: Resident Healthcare

In the "School/Association Name" field, please type "Union University." Then, click on Union University for plan details.

Does the MTR provide me with options regarding loan forgiveness for my existing student loans?

Yes. Please see this Department of Education link regarding loan forgiveness: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/teachercancel.jsp?tab=repaying

For those of you that are holding undergraduate school loans (for example, Perkins or Stafford Loans), you may qualify for some or all of your loan to be forgiven in return for teaching in a high-needs school or in a high-need subject area. For example, Perkins Loans are forgiven at the annual rate of 15%, 15%, 20%, 20% and 30%, for qualifying teachers. So, after five years of teaching, your entire loan can be forgiven. After your three-year MTR commitment, 50% of your loan could be forgiven. Stafford Loans appear to give between $5,000 and $17,500 in loan forgiveness, depending on your subject area.

Is a passing score on the Praxis Exam for content required for admission to MTR?

Yes. For the Elementary Education cohort, Residents are required to pass the #0014 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge Praxis exam. For the Secondary Education cohort, Residents are required to pass the Praxis II Specialty Area Test required for their particular content area. Please see the PRAXIS page within the MTR website for exact test names and codes.

What if I already have a teaching license in another state?

The State of Tennessee Department of Education offers reciprocity with most states. The MTR requires all Residents to secure a TN State Teaching license through the reciprocal process prior to enrolling in the MTR. If you do receive a TN State Teaching License through this process, you will NOT be required to retake any licensing test (Praxis, etc). All forms for out-of-state licensure are available at: http://state.tn.us/education/lic/forms.shtml .

How does the Selection Process work?

All interested persons must complete and submit the online application. For the 2011-2012 Residency year, the Application process opens on September 1, 2010. The MTR will have two (2) Application seasons: fall and spring. The fall season runs from September 1 – November 30. Applicants who submit their applications on or before November 30 will first receive a phone interview. From a study of the application, recommendations and phone interview, the MTR will then invite qualifying applicants to attend the fall Selection Weekend, Friday-Saturday, December 17-18, 2010 in Memphis, TN. Applicants invited to the fall Selection Weekend may choose to defer attendance until the spring Selection Weekend on March 25-26, 2011 also in Memphis, TN. The MTR will notify fall Selection Weekend participants of their invitation status no later than January 7, 2011.

The spring Application season runs from December 1, 2010 – March 13, 2011. Again, all applicants will receive a phone interview. Qualifying applicants will receive an invitation to the MTR’s spring Selection Weekend, March 25-26, 2011. The MTR will notify spring Selection Weekend participants of their invitation status no later than April 5, 2011.

We encourage all applicants to apply as soon as possible. There is some advantage to applying during the fall application season.

The latest Praxis II test available in time for admission to the MTR is the April 2011 Praxis test (actual date is not yet determined). Deadline for registration for the April 24 test date is mid-March 2011 (PRIOR to MTR Spring Selection Weekend). Other Praxis II test dates are September; November; and March.
Register as soon as possible at www.ets.org/praxis.