Metro Nashville and University to address teacher shortages in high-need schools while Fellows complete full licensure, graduate degree
Nashville Teaching Fellows, an initiative of Metro Nashville Public Schools and The New Teacher Project, announced today a new partnership with Belmont University to train top-notch, effective educators who will teach high-need subjects in difficult-to-staff Metro schools.
Nashville Teaching Fellows is recruiting approximately 75-100 outstanding career professionals and recent college graduates to teach subjects with traditional teacher shortages—such as math, science, Spanish and special education—in high-need schools. After a highly competitive selection process, chosen Fellows will participate in rigorous summer training to prepare them to enter the classroom as teachers in the fall.
“We recruited The New Teacher Project to Nashville because it stands alone as a national leader in innovative approaches to teacher recruitment,” said Mayor Karl Dean. “When we lose 500 to 600 teachers a year to attrition, it is incumbent upon us to look beyond our local borders and reach out to those who are breaking new ground in this area. Belmont University did not hesitate when approached to be a university partner for The New Teacher Project. For me, this immediate willingness is reflective of not only Belmont University’s commitment to the advancement of education, but also its commitment to the larger Nashville community.”
Fellows will teach full-time in high-need Metro Nashville Public Schools while, at the same time, earning teacher certification and a Master of Arts in teaching degree through Belmont’s two-year program. This program will complement Belmont’s teacher education programs in Montessori education, undergraduate teacher education and traditional Master of Arts in teaching.
Belmont Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander said, “Belmont University seeks to be a premier teaching university, and this partnership is a perfect example of that vision, combining our academic excellence with service to our local community. Together with Nashville Teaching Fellows, we expect to educate tomorrow’s top teachers as well as to prepare the next generation of college student success stories.”
Assistant Superintendent of Metro Schools Dr. June Keel added, “We are committed to finding innovative methods to fill Metro Schools with the most qualified and committed educators possible. Nashville Teaching Fellows and Belmont University will leverage the talents of career professionals and recent college graduates to provide outstanding teachers to schools and subject areas where we have historically had teacher shortages.”
Mayor Dean announced last fall that funds to support new teacher recruitment programs in the city had been secured through the private sector. To further draw community support for education reform in Nashville, Dean helped establish an Education First Fund through the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Community resources donated to the fund will be used to support the long-term presence of The New Teacher Project/Nashville Teaching Fellows, in Nashville schools, as well as a variety of other education improvement initiatives led by the mayor.
Individuals interested in becoming a teacher in a high-need school in Nashville can find more information at the Nashville Teaching Fellows website at www.nashvilleteachingfellows.org.
About the Nashville Teaching Fellows
Nashville Teaching Fellows is a highly selective program of Metro Nashville Public Schools that is designed to bring exceptional new teachers to the classroom through an alternate route to teaching. These individuals are committed to increasing student achievement in Davidson County by teaching in some of the highest-need public schools. www.nashvilleteachingfellows.org
About the New Teachers Project
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is a national nonprofit dedicated to closing the achievement gap by ensuring that high-need students get outstanding teachers. Founded by teachers in 1997, TNTP partners with school districts and states to implement scalable responses to their most acute teacher quality challenges. Since its inception, TNTP has trained or hired approximately 33,000 teachers, benefiting an estimated 4.8 million students nationwide. It has established more than 70 programs and initiatives in 28 states and published three seminal studies on urban teacher hiring and school staffing. www.tntp.org
