Nashville Teacher Residency
DONATE NOW
678-772-7522
Share page
1224 Martin Street
Nashville, TN 37203
Organization Details

Statements

Mission

NTR's mission is to develop and license teachers from diverse backgrounds and experiences who honor the dignity of every student.

Background

The Nashville Teacher Residency is a one-year state approved EPP (Education Preparation Provider) with a mission to develop and license teachers from diverse backgrounds and experiences who honor the dignity of every student. NTR residents are paired with outstanding Mentor Teachers and gradually assume classroom responsibilities while taking practice-driven coursework from NTR at night. Residents are full-time employees of their Partner Schools earning a salary equivalent to that of an Educational Assistant or paraprofessional. NTR launched in the 2016-2017 school year with fourteen residents at four Partner Schools. In the 2022-2023 school year, we are placing twenty-eight Residents at fifteen Partner Schools. We look forward to continuing to expand the impact of our program.

Impact

Impact Data:
101 NTR graduates currently teaching in Middle Tennessee
Over 10,000 students currently being taught by a NTR graduate
51% of graduates identify as a person of color
2 NTR alumni are principals in Nashville
33% of current Residents are first-generation college students

Goals:

90% of all Residents report that they are welcomed, cared for, advocated for throughout the Residency year as measured by semester-end surveys in exit tickets and end-of-semester conversations.

100% of all Residents report that they are welcomed, cared for, advocated for at the end of the Residency year

85% of Residents state that they are given the support and tools they need to be successful as measured by passing licensure exams, earning licensure within one year, and being hired by August 1 throughout the Residency year.

100% of Residents state that they are given the support and tools they need to be successful as measured by passing licensure exams, earning licensure within one year, and being hired by August 1 at the end of the Residency year.

100% of Residents will have passed their subject specific Praxis exam and Teaching Reading By July 15, 2023

100% of fully-licensed Residents, eligible for hire, will be hired by their CMO/District by August 1

Needs

NTR's financial model has two sources of revenue: a resident tuition of $7,000 and school hiring fee of $10,000. Taken together, when NTR is at at scale, these two sources of revenue will ultimately account for about 70% of the cost of training a Resident when NTR is at full scale.

However, both of these revenue streams are delayed until our residents graduate the program and are working as full-time teachers. This has two significant advantages. First, schools only pay for teachers they want to hire- this is not only fair, but it makes them more inclined to partner with NTR because of the guarantee that they will only invest resources in candidates that they want to work for them. Second, the deferred tuition means that NTR can recruit candidates who would not otherwise have been able to become teachers because of the financial barriers. This is a significant reason for why NTR's residents are as diverse as they are.

This model evens out over time with future residents essentially being paid for by previous residents. However, in the years leading up to this point NTR needs funding to bring us to our stable, scaled model.

CEO Statement

As the new Executive Director of the Nashville Teacher Residency, I am honored to represent our incredible team and grateful to be surrounded by so many friends and supporters of our work. Our mission is to develop and license teachers from diverse backgrounds and experiences who honor the dignity of every student. Dignity is not an either/or choice. Focusing on the dignity of every student pushes us to prepare Residents who provide rigorous educational experiences AND build classrooms where EVERY student is seen, affirmed, and celebrated. At the same time, we strive to remove barriers to teaching that too often prevent people from diverse backgrounds and experiences from entering the profession.
This is a difficult time for teachers, but we see incredible hope on the horizon. Every day 101 NTR alumni show up as champions for their students across middle Tennessee. We are excited to share their names and their stories; stories that are changing the narrative of teaching. Their paths to the Residency, persistence and resilience during their residency year, and their continuing impact on so many students inspire us, and we hope they will inspire you too.
This is a pivotal moment for NTR as we move from startup to sustainable, and we so appreciate your joining us on that journey. Our Board approved a strong strategic plan in January of 2023. The plan represents more than a year of listening to our Residents, Mentors, Principals, Alumni, Donors, and friends, and sets two clear goals: Growth and Impact. Over the next 5 years, we are committed to growing the organization's fiscal capacity for long-term sustainability and positively impacting student achievement outcomes in Nashville's public schools. Our relentless pursuit of equity is deeply embedded in these goals and animates our work every day. I am excited about the direction we are headed and can't wait to see the organization we will become!

Matt Cheek


Service Categories

Primary Category: Education  - Primary & Elementary Schools 
Secondary Category: -
Tertiary Category: -

Areas Served

Our work is focused on public schools in Middle Tennessee. We currently have teachers and teacher Residents in Davidson county.

TN - Davidson