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Chicago Public Schools partners with the following institutions and universities to provide quality teacher preparation programs for individuals seeking pathways toward initial teaching certification through Illinois State Board of Education Approved Alternative Certification Programs or other Routes to Certification. Please review their respective website for program information and application requirements.


Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL)

AUSL’s teacher preparation program is one of only three not-for-profit urban teacher residency programs in the nation. Annually, AUSL recruits 40 to 50 mid-career professionals and recent college graduates to participate in their unique program design, borrowed from the medical profession. Program participants, called Residents, are selected through a rigorous application process and spend one year working full-time in the classroom of a Chicago Public School mentor teacher. While gaining clinical classroom experience, Residents earn a Master of Arts in Teaching or a Master’s of Education from a partner university. Residents receive a training salary and commit to teaching in an under-performing Chicago Public School for a minimum of five years.

Chicago Teaching Fellows

The Chicago Teaching Fellows provides a pathway for outstanding individuals to become teachers in CPS and to significantly impact the academic achievement of our city’s children. The program looks to you, successful professionals and recent college graduates, to bring your knowledge, experience and records of achievement to the classrooms, where your leadership is needed most. In this highly-selective Alternative Certification program, the most exemplary candidates will begin teaching full-time in the fall, while simultaneously earning their teaching certificates at a local university. Fellows teach in critical shortage areas, including math, science, Spanish, Chinese and special education.

National Teacher Education Center (NTEC)

National Teacher Education Center recruits, trains and certifies quality candidates to fill high needs teaching positions. We focus on identifying and recruiting candidates who are of and from the Chicago communities that they will serve during their teaching career. If you are a Chicago resident interested in serving your community as a bilingual teacher, a special education teacher or a math or biology teacher, we invite you to apply. Together with Quincy University, NTEC offers accelerated bachelor's and master's degree programs leading to certification.

Teach for America (TFA)

Teach for America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools, and become lifelong leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity. TFA’s mission is to build the movement to eliminate education inequity by enlisting some of the nation's most promising future leaders in the effort.

Urban Impact Through Education (UNITE)

The Inner-City Teaching Corps recruits, supports and develops dedicated, inspired education leaders to serve in inner-city classrooms and school settings. Alumni of the programs can be found in classes across the country, heading schools and working in education policy. The UNITE program, which develops transitioning professionals into classroom leaders, numbers attorneys, public relations specialists and a professional actor among its midst.

 
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Legal Statement (Title IX): It is the policy of the Board of Education of the City of Chicago not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability or sex. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the regulations promulgated thereunder concerning sex discrimination should be referred to the Title IX Officer, Chicago Public Schools, 125 S. Clark St., Chicago, Illinois 60603, 773-553-2688 (TTY-773-553-2699).


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