Our Program • The Program
The Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Peace Corps Fellows Program recruits Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who are ready to make long-term, professional commitments to teach in
New York City's public schools. Since 1985, the program has recruited
and trained more than 700 urban educators. As an AmeriCorps Professional
Corps and Fellows/USA flagship alternative teacher-training program, we
provide AmeriCorps tuition awards and partial scholarships to select
trainees. Upon completion of our summer intensive training, new
Fellows teach full-time in salaried positions at the NYC public
schools. Invited fellows make a minimum three-year commitment to
teaching and all related Masters degree coursework must be completed
within this time.
We recruit candidates in the following teacher shortage areas:
Bilingual/Bicultural Education (Spanish/English, Grades 1-6 or 6-9)
English (Grades 7-12)
Social Studies (7-12)
Math (Grades 7-12)
Science (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science or Physics, Grades 7-12)
Intellectual Disability/Autism (Grades 1-6 or 5-9)
TESOL - The Peace Corps Fellows Program does not currently offer fellowships in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Individuals interested in this subject area should visit TR@TC for information about a newly established Teaching Residency program offering TESOL degrees and certification.Mission Statement
To recruit and train exceptional Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to address educational equity through making long-term, professional commitments to teach in New York City's public schools.
Program Goals:
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To provide qualified, dedicated and innovative teachers of subject-shortage areas for high-poverty public schools in New York City.
- To recruit vibrant and diverse cohorts of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers with unique international education/service experience to teach NYC students.
- To support a community of reflective, RPCV urban educators who are addressing educational equity and social justice through their long-term commitments to urban schools, urban communities and urban youth.
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To serve as a national model for quality alternative teacher preparation and retention.
Who are the Peace Corps Fellows?
The Peace Corps Fellows are a group of returned Peace Corps Volunteers who have made a powerful impact on public school students in New York City, mainly in Harlem, Washington Heights, and the Bronx. These dedicated individuals teach full time in high-poverty New York City schools, while working to complete all requirements for Masters degrees at Teachers College. They also complete all requirements for teaching certification in critical subject areas such as Science, Math, ESL, English, Bilingual, and Intellectual Disabilities/Autism.
Currently, 40 first and second year Fellows are teaching full-time in New York City elementary, intermediate, and high schools, as well as in several alternative and specialized school settings.
How committed are Peace Corps Fellows to teaching in New York City public schools?
The Peace Corps Fellows is a highly selective program composed of dedicated individuals who have demonstrated their commitment, resilience and resourcefulness through the competitive application process to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, and through their two years of Peace Corps service. As Fellows, they commit to teaching in their schools for three years, and they are strongly encouraged to stay in their schools at least two more years. The program has a 98% retention rate during the two years in which Fellows are attending graduate school.
What are the benefits?
The
Peace Corps Fellows Program offers Elliot Jaffe Scholarships along with
AmeriCorps Education Awards to cover up to one-half of tuition costs;
starting teacher's salary of approximately $45,224, depending on experience and prior
academic credits (starting salary for teachers who already have a masters degree is approximately $50,728); full health coverage under Teachers' Union contract;
professional teaching credential (after three years, with fulfillment
of requirements); as well as scholarship and loan forgiveness opportunities after
teaching begins. New York State certification currently has reciprocity
in 43 states.
Program Overview
Recruitment
Training and Practicum
This symposia is designed to fulfill NYSED requirements for certifying Fellows to teach in September as Transitional B Certification teachers. While many Fellows complete their coursework in two years, Fellows must complete all coursework requirements and pass all required tests within a three year time frame to meet eligibility requirements for New York State certification. We have doubled our training period to enable teachers to be more reflective about the work they are doing, to have more adjustment time, and to get into classrooms during the regular school year so that they can get a truer sense of effective urban teaching in high-need schools. This also makes it possible for Peace Corps Fellows to make the connections with principals and other teachers that will facilitate their being hired for a full-time position.
School Placement
The Peace Corps Fellows Program prioritizes building relationships with
schools and departments that are recommended by current Fellows and
alumni, as well as with other supportive International Schools,
Dual-Language schools, and all high-needs schools close to Teachers
College. Our goal is to have a significant impact in high-need schools
in our neighboring communities, and most of our Fellows work in Harlem,
Washington Heights, and the South Bronx. Regardless of the
neighborhood, we strive to build stronger relationships with schools
that value our Fellows' international experience, commitment to
service, and language and cross-cultural skills. As early as May 15, a
new cohort of Fellows trainees arrive, and soon after, we encourage
these fellows to begin interviewing at such schools. While we provide
assistance and support in the job search through our network of alumni
and relationships with schools, ultimately, it is the responsibility of
each fellow to secure his/her own teaching position for September.
Teaching / Learning
1) A community of encouraging and supportive RPCV educators who have been serving city schools for the last twenty years
2) capable mentors who visit schools during our Fellows' first two years of urban teaching
3) each Peace Corps Fellow's commitment to being a reflective practitioner
Once Peace Corps Fellows begin the program, they quickly become part of a close-knit community of Fellows and program alumni who know intimately the challenges of readjusting to teaching and urban living. (Many RPCVs are returning from small villages of perhaps a few hundred people, so peer support once they are Peace Corps Fellows is critical.)
We know that this sense of connection with other RPCVs who have successfully made this transition is perhaps the most important factor in supporting Fellows in their teaching positions. Program staff organize and present monthly seminars for first and second year fellows on classroom management, student assessment, parental involvement, and whatever other needs the new Peace Corps Fellows articulate.
In addition, each Fellow is paired with a Teachers College mentor who observes their teaching and meets with them at least ten times over the course of their first year of urban teaching in order to provide constructive criticism and professional support. In their second year of city teaching, Fellows have at least 6 visits over the year from their mentors.
3. The Reflective Practitioner
Throughout the first summer, and through their two to three years at Teachers College, Peace Corps Fellows continually reflect on their practice by creating and revising their own Teaching Philosophy Statments. The sharing of such reflection with other current Fellows and Alumni helps them to closely link pedagogy to practice.
In This Section
The ProgramImpact and Retention
Supporters
FAQs
PCFP BBQ 2009