С»ÆÊé

Mississippi Teacher Residency (A Mississippi Department of Education Program)

In May 2019, The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) launched an initiative to recruit, increase and retain the number of academically talented and diverse teacher candidates to enter and remain in the profession through a teacher-residency program.

The Mississippi Teacher Residency Program is a rigorous twenty-four (24) month program granting Mississippi teacher certification in

• Elementary Education (Undergraduate) AND
• Special Education from an accredited four-year Mississippi College or University.

Participants spend two (2) years in a participating district with mentorship from a high-quality teacher with collaboration from community partners and other educators.

Participants in the С»ÆÊé cohort of MTR commit to teaching three (3) years with Jackson Public Schools. People of color, veterans and students at junior colleges are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligible participants may receive housing upon completion of a required AmeriCorps Application, as well as moving expenses to the district upon application from the District.

Residents also receive a full scholarship funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and support with all licensure examinations needed for licensure within Mississippi.

To learn more about MTR, visit

С»ÆÊé Teacher Certification Initiative

In October 2020, С»ÆÊé began to partner with colleges and universities around the state to establish the С»ÆÊé Teacher Certification Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to provide a pathway to standard Mississippi educator certification for provisionally licensed district employees through the university alternate route and degree programs. Through this collaborative effort, С»ÆÊé provides support to teachers seeking a five-year license by paying for one or more classes to assist them in the certification process. Teachers who receive this assistance agree to three (3) years of service with С»ÆÊé.

Currently, С»ÆÊé is partnered with (Participants complete requirements for certification only)and is striving to expand this partnership to address teacher shortage issues in hard-to-fill areas:

To learn more about the С»ÆÊé Teacher Certification Initiative, please contact the С»ÆÊé Office of Recruitment (601-985-3159)