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- How much do teachers in Mississippi make?
The starting salary for a first-year teacher is $28,000. In addition to this “base salary” each school
district is required to give an additional supplement. The supplement varies depending on the school
district.
- Where is the University of Mississippi located?
The University of Mississippi is located in Oxford, in the northern part of Mississippi, about an hour south of Memphis, Tennessee. Oxford is a typical university town with lots of night-life, restaurants,
and cultural activities.
- Where will I be placed?
Our teachers are placed in critical-needs areas. Most of our teachers are placed in the Mississippi
Delta. The Mississippi
Delta is located on the western border of Mississippi, along
the Mississippi river. The
Delta starts in Tunica and ends in Yazoo City.
In the past teachers have been placed in Indianola, Greenville,
Tunica, Yazoo City, Hollandale, and many other places.
In addition to the Delta some of our teachers are placed in
the Jackson area. Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and the
largest city. Some teachers
are also placed near Oxford, in areas such as Holly Springs.
- Do I have any say in where I will be placed?
No. Placements are dependent
on the needs of the schools..
- How far from Oxford are the placements?
The closest placements are about 20 minutes away. The furthest, the Jackson area placements, are about three hours
away.
- When does the program start?
The program starts the last week of May.
- Is it difficult to find housing in Mississippi?
It is easy to find housing. Our teachers have the entire summer to arrange
housing in their community.
Almost every school where we place teachers will have
a second-year teacher corps member there, and they are always
good sources of information when it comes to housing.
The cost of living in Mississippi is quite low.
- What kind of support will I get?
Because we never accept more than 20 candidates we are able to offer a
lot of support to each individual.
The program coordinator visits each teacher three timesduring
the first school year. There are monthly phone calls to each
teacher. Finally, and most importantly, because the incoming
group is never more than 20 people, each group develops a strong
bond and support system.
- How competitive is the program?
We generally receive 100 applications for 20 spots.
- How is the program funded?
The program is funded by the state of Mississippi.
- What are the classes like?
Each class that you take at the University of Mississippi has been designed specifically for
this program, and you will move through each class with your
group.
- What do people do after the program?
Graduates of the Mississippi Teacher Corps do all kinds of
things, from law school to med school. Alums of the program
are authors, movie directors, doctors and lawyers.
However, the majority of our alumni remain in the field
of education. Many of
our teachers stay at their school past their two-year commitment. Some graduates pursue degrees in administration.
- How much is the summer stipend?
The summer stipend is $950.
We also provide housing during the summer.
- If I live off-campus during the summer how much will I
be reimbursed for rent?
$325 a month.
- How many drop out during the program?
The retention rate during the program is 90%. We generally have 1-2 people drop from each
group.
- How many people stay after the two years of the program?
Roughly 70% stay for an additional third year at their school. About 40% stay for a fourth year.
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