Question 1

When do applications open and close?

Accepted Answer

The NTR Application for the 2024-2025 school year is open from November 2023 through
March 2024.

Question 2

When does the residency start and end?

Accepted Answer

The Cohort VII residency year starts in mid-July 2024 and concludes near the end of May 2025. Official start dates in schools vary depending on the school where Residents are placed.

Question 3

Am I paid during my residency?

Accepted Answer

All Residents are paid full-time with benefits as paraprofessionals or educational assistants through their partner schools. In Metro Nashville Public Schools this starts at around $23,500 for a ten month contract, but it will be higher if you’ve worked in MNPS before.

Question 4

Does NTR provide Financial Aid for tuition?

Accepted Answer

No. While we do not offer Financial Aid, our tuition is deferred, which means we will not collect tuition payments until you are a fully licensed teacher and employed full time.  If you complete the program in May 2024, you should expect to pay your first tuition installment in January 2025.

Question 5

Can I earn a Master’s Degree through NTR?

Accepted Answer

Completing your residency at NTR does not yield a graduate degree. However, we are excited to have four partnerships with local, outstanding graduate schools of education. Through these partnerships, NTR graduates can continue their educational studies by pursuing one of these discounted Master’s degrees.
We’ve worked closely with the administration from these graduate schools to provide a pathway for NTR alumni to pursue a graduate degree upon completion of the NTR program. Each of the graduate schools will present their program offerings and requirements to the cohort in the spring of the residency year. 
We encourage Residents to consider these programs as they further their education beyond their time with us. Additionally, these graduate programs accept our residency coursework for credit. Thus decreasing the cost and the number of courses that our alumni will take to complete their program. 
Explore these Master’s programs below:
Relay Graduate School of Education
Lipscomb University
Austin Peay State University
Carson-Newman University

Question 6

What classes do I take and when?

Accepted Answer

Residents attend NTR classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights.  These are technical, practice-heavy, NTR led teacher education classes in management, relationship building, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and Math, English Language Arts, or Science instructional methods that build on their work in schools.  
During the 2024-2025 school year, Residents should expect to attend some classes virtually and some classes in person.  Specific times will be determined later, however, Residents need to plan to be available between 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the school year.  
During class time, Residents are expected to be fully engaged.  If it is a virtual class, Residents are expected to be in one space for the duration of class, with minimal interruptions. If class is in person, Residents will need to arrive on time and ensure that they have a plan for transportation and childcare for the duration of class time, if needed.

Question 7

What does the application process look like?

Accepted Answer

The application process begins with an online application. You can find the application here. After the application is submitted, candidates will be notified of their application status within two weeks.  Selected candidates will then be scheduled for a phone interview and then a virtual group interview.

Question 8

What is NTR looking for in an applicant?

Accepted Answer

We are searching for passionate and diverse teacher candidates who want to impact greater
change within their school communities and in the lives of students. During the recruitment
process we assess candidates in the four categories outlined below:
Commitment - Are you passionate about teaching and learning? Do you display a growth mindset?
Critical thinking - Are you ready to take on content related challenges? Are you receptive and eager for feedback?
Teamwork - Do you work collaboratively with peers? When working in groups do you value the voice of others?
NTR mission alignment - Are you eager to engage in the work of honoring the dignity of every student in your classroom?

Question 9

Is an education major required to apply?

Accepted Answer

No. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree completed by August 1st, 2024 from any
concentration, are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Question 10

What does the interview process look like?

Accepted Answer

Upon successful review of an application, a candidate will be invited to a 15 minute phone interview. Selected candidates will then be asked to join for a virtual group interview. During the virtual group interview, candidates will have the opportunity to learn more about NTR, take part in thinking tasks that reflect NTR coursework, and provide a mini-lesson to show off their teaching skills.

Question 11

What is the Spring Internship?

Accepted Answer

Upon a successful completion of the interview, candidates who accept the invitation to join NTR will complete a mandatory internship. The NTR Internship is a period in which placement and program fit are determined. The Spring Internship, like our interview process, will be completely virtual this year. To complete the Spring Internship, Interns must complete two to three 1.5 hour virtual school site visits, four two-hour workshops with NTR, and a few online assignments.

Question 12

Is NTR sponsored by a college or university? Does NTR provide college credit?

Accepted Answer

NTR is an independent Education Preparation Provider (EPP) authorized to issue Tennessee teacher licenses. NTR does not bear a Masters Degree and is not sponsored by any college or university. However, we do have partnerships with local colleges and universities for alumni to continue their education and receive a masters degree at a fraction of the cost and time.

Question 13

Upon completing the residency, can I transfer my Tennessee Teaching license to another state?"

Accepted Answer

Yes. You would need to consult with the Department of Education of the state that you
desire to transfer your license to, but it is usually not a difficult process.

Question 14

After I receive my initial teaching license, am I able to teach in another content area than the one I trained and was licensed in?"

Accepted Answer

After you complete our program and earn your initial teaching license, you are able to add endorsements through the state which allow you to teach in different content areas than the one you were initially licensed in. Typically to add these endorsements, you need to take a Praxis exam in the content area in which you are trying to be endorsed in.

Question 15

What can I do if I want to support multilingual students?

Accepted Answer

Upon completion of this program you will receive your official TN educator's license. As a NTR graduate, you'll receive a significant discount to your tuition to Lipscomb University where you can pursue your ESL endorsement. There are limited spots for this specific program. If you are interested, please note this on your application.

Frequently asked questions