The Mississippi Teacher Corps is now accepting applications for next year’s class.  The two-year program will start Tuesday, June 5th, 2007.  The online application is available here.  The Teacher Corps recruits recent non-education majors who are interested in teaching.  In addition to full pay and benefits participants receive a full scholarship for a master’s degree, housing and a $1,000 stipend during the initial summer training and teacher certification.

(Aaron Thompson, Class of 2005)

“We are like a domestic Peace Corps,” said Mr. Ben Guest, the Program Manager for the Mississippi Teacher Corps.  “We are looking for people who are interested in service, people who want to work with kids from a low-income background, and people who want to teach.”

“Our teachers are placed in the Mississippi Delta and in Jackson,” said Mr. Guest.  “Jackson is an urban setting.  The population Jackson is about 200,000.  The Delta placements are more rural.  The bigger towns in the Delta, Greenville, Indianola, Clarksdale, are around 30,000.  The smaller placements, such as Rolling Fork and Hollandale, are towns of about 2,000 people.  So there is a wide variety of placements available, from large urban to small rural.  If participants have a preference we try our best to accommodate that.”

(The Mississippi River)

“We look for three things in an applicant,” said Dr. Germain McConnell, the Co-Director of the Teacher Corps.  “First is a commitment to service; second is experience working with kids; and third is an outstanding academic background.”

“Last year was our most competitive year ever,” said Mr. Guest.  “We received 405 applications for 30 spots.  The competitiveness of the program combined with the outstanding training and support that we offer translate into a high-quality teacher.  Once the school year starts our attrition rate is zero.  We place young people in some of the toughest schools in the country and yet we don’t lose anyone.  That is a testament to the people in our program and the training and support we give them.”

A summer internship is available for juniors, sophomores, and freshmen.  The internship is for June and July.  Interns receive on-campus housing and a $2,000 stipend.  The summer internship application is online here.

(MTC Class of 2006)

The Mississippi Teacher Corps is the most competitive alternate-route teaching program in the country. It is a two-year program that recruits recent college graduates to teach in critical-shortage areas in the Mississippi Delta, in exchange for a full scholarship for a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi. The program was founded in 1989 by Amy Gutman, a Harvard University graduate student, and Dr. Andy Mullins, then Special Assistant to the State Superintendent of Education. Since 1989 more than 350 participants, reaching an estimated 70,000 students, have taught in critical-needs school districts as part of the Mississippi Teacher Corps.

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