In order for us to be able to include you in interview opportunities,  ALL of the following MUST be true for you: 

1. You must have passed all parts of the GACE Program Admissions & the GACE Content exams

2. ​You must have submitted to our team a TFA-formatted resume in PDF
3. You must have submitted the Get to Know You Survey where you agree to follow our TFA Metro Atlanta placement and hiring policies. 

Great question! So many reasons, some of which are listed below:

• Teach for America's mission is to expand opportunity for students from low income communities (LICs) so we form partnerships only with schools facing great inequity.

• Not all districts or schools can hire a TFA teacher. Specific districts and schools have agreed to be TFA partners. The leaders of those districts work in partnership with TFA on how TFA teachers can best serve the purpose of eliminating inequities within each unique district context and community. 

• To ensure equity of the placement process among corps members and colleagues.

• Each district has a limited number of TFA placements. If you refuse a position or interview, it is very unlikely that you will be offered another position. 

• Our principals appreciate TFA facilitating the interview process for them. This avenue ensures there is equity in the process for principals and district partners. 

​

• It generally takes 3-5 interviews with 3-5 varying schools before a corps member is offered a position. There were a few corps members last year who went on 5 to 8 interviews last year. 

• This also depends on your subject area and your interview skills - see below:

  • SPED, HS Math, HS Science: These are high need with less qualified applicants on the market. Generally you get hired sooner.​

  • HS & MS Social Studies/History/Political Science, HS & MS ELA, MS Math & Science:  The market is saturated with highly qualified applicants. For these placements you may interview more or wait longer between interviews before you receive a recommendation for hire. 

  • Elementary: A placement in APS is highly unlikely. Also, the market is saturated with highly qualified applicants for elementary as well. Thus, you may interview more or wait longer between interviews before you receive a recommendation for hire.

• For the past four years, 100% of our corps members who met all hire ready ​requirements were hired by the first day of school. 

We are scheduling interviews on a rolling basis as we are made aware of needs and vacancies. Because of this, we are unable to provide in advance the dates and times interviews will take place or where/when you will be placed. However, know that interviews will happen all through the summer, on a rolling basis, all the way up to the first day of school.

Additional context :

• Flexibility and optimism are key!

• Principals do not know all of their vacancies at once. They have attrition and promotions throughout the summer. 

• We cannot guarantee that a corps member will be place in a specific school district. We will set up interview opportunities with our partner schools and get you placed where we can in schools where there has been a demonstrated track record for corps member success and satisfaction. 

• We track pretty much everything down to how many interviews you have had, where and when they took place to keep this process equitable for you. We want to avoid situations where CMs in the same teaching field are getting more/ less interviews than one other. So, know that if you are not selected to attend an interview, or if you are waiting a little bit longer than you wish for your next opportunity, we are just trying to ensure the process remains equitable.

• Someone will be hired FIRST, someone will be hired LAST, and everyone else in between. This has never shown to correlate with corps member impact or success. 

• Yes! We will schedule interviews on a rolling basis all through the summer and up to the first day of school.

• You should be heavily focused on passing your GACE exams as soon as possible. 

• If you do not pass all of your GACE exams, you will be released from TFA with the option to join the corps the following year. Exact details around return eligibility will be communicated to you if this options becomes available to you.  

Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of our partners granted a few of our 2020 corps members GACE waivers. These waivers were given to corps members who only had one GACE exam outstanding and allowed the corps members to enter the classroom with the requirement that they would take and pass their outstanding GACE exam by the end of the fall semester. The district partner has communicated that these waivers may NOT be available to our corps members this year. Since only districts or charter networks are able to offer waivers (not TFA), you will need to meet all GACE requirements by the first day of school or you will need to release from the corps and will be unable to join TFA in 2021 academic year. You will have the option to join the corps the following year if GACE requirements are met. Exact details around return eligibility will be communicated to you if this options becomes available to you.  

1. All GACE requirements must be met (GACE Program Admissions, GACE Content & GACE Ethics Entry)

2. A principal from a TFA partner school must have recommended you for hire with their district Human Resources department ​

3. You must have completed the district/charter online application with references. (You receive directions on how to complete this once you are recommended for hire by a TFA partner principal.)

4. You must pass a district conducted criminal background check. (Reach out to us ASAP if this is a concern!)

5. You must have a degree-conferred transcript on file that TFA will submit on your behalf. 

6. You must have completed a Teacher Certification Application and Verification of Lawful Presence. (You will have the opportunity to complete this during the hiring paperwork process). Once you submit it to us, we will file it away with your transcript and submit on your behalf.)

7. You must attend any district required new employee orientation or meeting. 

​​

NOTE: Most contracts are received mid to late July.

• This is normal. Principals generally do not communicate with teachers over the summer. In addition, after you receive your recommendation for hire, you must successfully go through the human resources process before receiving a contract and reporting to work. You are not allowed to report to work without a contract. However, you will receive your contract and report to your school building for the first day of preplanning. 

• Due to internal staff movement, a principal may not fully know what grade level or course to assign you to at the moment they recommend you for hire. You will receive your grade level or course information during preplanning when you report to work.

​

If you want to browse around and see what  housing options are available, know that we place in Clayton County, Fulton County, and APS - all in schools SOUTH of I-20.  Also, Atlanta traffic can be a nightmare! Thus, we encourage CMs to live near a major highway. Also, please know that 75% of our CMs teach in placement schools located in south Fulton and Clayton County. Some neighborhoods our previous CMs have been happy with include: West End, College Park, East Point, Camp Creek, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, Cabbagetown, Grant Park. 

​

If you would like to explore more affordable housing options where you can share  a home with others and not worry about furnishing your place or putting utilities to your name , check out this company: PADSPLIT. 

• This is normal. Principals generally do not communicate with teachers over the summer. In addition, after you receive your recommendation for hire, you must successfully go through the human resources process before receiving a contract and reporting to work. You are not allowed to report to work without a contract. However, you will receive your contract and report to your school building for the first day of preplanning. 

• Due to internal staff movement, a principal may not fully know what grade level or course to assign you to at the moment they recommend you for hire. You will receive your grade level or course information during preplanning when you report to work.