TNTP Teaching Fellows Reviews

Pros

This program prepared me to be an effective teacher.

Cons

The summer training is intense but effective.

Pros

Hours are not too bad if you manage

Cons

The pay could definitely be more

Pros

- Good opportunity for graduates

Cons

-long training program -very low pay

Pros

Only join this program to receive free training in the summer. Their grading is subjective so do not waste two years to find out that they don’t think you qualify to be a teacher. The price reduction is not worth the added stress.

Cons

BCTR makes this experience more stressful than it has to be, but blames it in you. They have unrealistic expectations. They expect to own all of your time. If you have a family, just don’t. You are better off spending the next two years working full time elsewhere or completing an actual graduate program that isn’t subjectively graded on a single pass/fail basis at the end. There are no grades or transcripts to prove...

Advice to Management

I am not sure that management is willing to hear any criticism or receive any advise. I’ll stick to pointing out what you’re good at You are good at getting people’s hopes up. You’re good at pretending like you care about people. You are good at getting good people on board with your ideas. You are good at misleading people. You are good at lying to people. You are good at making things more difficult than they...

Pros

The mission is good but it's the worst of these sorts of programs

Cons

The execution of the mission is immature, poorly planned and more concerned with standards than students and teachers. This program ignores what it really takes to be a great teacher and reduces everything to percentages and rubrics. BCTR is another impersonal bureaucracy under the already unwieldy bureaucracy of Baltimore City Public Schools. It's much better to get your teaching degree from a local University and...

Advice to Management

The immature management does not understand the sacrifices people make to enter this program. They do not support new teachers, they rate and judge them. They also chase away many new teachers with great potential who leave the program midway through.

Pros

It's a fast way to get your teaching certification and get into teaching. They attract an amazing cohort of fellows who come with interesting backgrounds, experiences, and stories. You would meet some amazing people at this program.

Cons

The program is basically a scam. The program gets income from two sources: government grants and sponsorship from charter school organizations. The charter schools also get government grants to run their summer school programs. You sign up to this program and give a charter school that you do not get to choose for weeks of free labor. They will work you like a dog. Expect a ten hour work day plus commute and frequently...

Advice to Management

Be more up front about the program. Most of what happens in the program can put on your website so fellows don't feel like they've been cheated. Learn to treat fellows like humans.

Pros

You will meet a ton of people who have sacrificed everything to move down to the toilet of the country. I am only filling this out because Glassdoor makes you. New Orleans has its charm, but you do not want to live here. Great place to visit though.

Cons

Where do I begin? In 2017, TNTP/TeachNOLA received $1million from the US government to help recruit 900 teachers by 2020. The only money they spend on their fellows is on a very cheap bumper sticker and a notebook you can buy from the dollar store. They silence voices of color, deleting comments they don't agree with, while amplifying White women who run the training as "Directors." You are expected to pay for...

Advice to Management

Be transparent about your practices. Spend money on your fellows not just on lining your own pockets. Advocate for better starting salaries and for schools to be upfront about $. Stop silencing people of color.

Pros

TNTP, specifically ITF, helped me become the teacher I am today. They provide clear, direct, and in-the-moment feedback throughout the pre-service experience doing everything they can to prepare you for your first day of teaching and beyond. You receive in-depth support with lesson plans, are taught Teaching Like a Champion key components for classroom management skills, and given a coach to help you through any areas...

Cons

Pre-service training is hard work and requires a large time commitment unpaid. You're day does not end when you leave your classroom. These things can be intense if you don't plan for them so make sure you do!

Advice to Management

Keep up the great work!