Yale Teaching Fellowship

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1. Summary

The Yale Teaching Fellowship (YTF) aims to train high-quality teachers from diverse backgrounds, cover shortage areas, and promote long-term retention for New Haven Public Schools (NHPS). This fellowship comes out of the Yale & Slavery Research Project and supports New Haven Public Schools’ efforts to increase their teacher diversity in accordance with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE).

Yale University is partnering with New Haven Public Schools, New Haven Promise, and Southern Connecticut State University to develop and fund a fellowship program that supports graduate study for current and aspiring educators in exchange for at least three years of service in New Haven Public Schools. Over four years, beginning in May 2025, the program will place more than 100 teachers with Master’s degrees in the city’s schools.

To support district-identified shortage areas, Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) has developed expedited academic schedule maps to Master’s programs with summer-intensive coursework in three subject areas:

Math
Science
Special Education

Prospective fellows in the New Teachers or Paraprofessionals and Support Staff tracks may be considered for the fellowship in other licensure areas, provided they could complete their chosen program in the same amount of time as the expedited programs above, but preference will be given to these areas of greatest teacher shortage in New Haven Public Schools.

Start Your Application

Use the “Save” button in the application to receive a link to your in-process YTF application. Copy the link or email it to yourself, so you can return to your incomplete application as many times as needed until you finish and submit by the January 1 deadline. All application materials must be received by January 1, 2025 to be considered complete.

2. Three Fellowship Tracks

There are three fellowship tracks, all of which cover full tuition* and are designed to provide teacher certification and a Master’s degree in a shortage area.

* Tuition does not cover non-mandatory fees or any past due bills for previous SCSU enrollment; fellows are responsible for resolving any unpaid SCSU bills before starting the fellowship.

New Teachers Track	NHPS Paraprofessionals and Support Staff Track	NHPS Current Teachers Track
Key Points: For college graduates Gain teacher certificate and a 12-month M.A. degree in Teaching from SCSU Full tuition benefit Living stipend of $46,000 Commit to teaching in NHPS for at least 3 years following program completion The New Teachers Track will enable up to 10 college graduates per fellowship year to gain teacher certification in Connecticut and an expedited 12-month Master of Arts in Teaching from SCSU in a New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) shortage area. Yale University will provide full tuition, a living stipend of $46,000, and a cohort experience. In exchange, fellows commit to teaching in NHPS for at least three years following degree program completion, during which they will receive ongoing mentorship. New Teachers Track fellows will take courses in the summer, fall, winter, and spring terms. In the fall, fellows will spend 20 hours a week in a fellowship mentor’s classroom. In the spring, fellows will have a full-time teacher residency experience in their school, during which their teaching will be supervised by SCSU faculty.	Key Points: For full-time paraprofessionals and student-facing support staff currently working in NHPS Gain teacher certificate and a 2-year M.A. degree in Teaching from SCSU Full tuition benefit Living stipend of $46,000 minus NHPS salary during the first year of the fellowship Commit to teaching in NHPS for at least 3 years following program completion The Paraprofessionals and Support Staff Track provides a route to teacher certification in Connecticut and a Master of Arts in Teaching from SCSU for full-time paraprofessionals and student-facing support staff currently working in NHPS. Each year, up to 11 paraprofessionals and support staff will be selected to pursue a two-year Master of Arts in Teaching at SCSU in an NHPS shortage area. They will continue to work in their current roles as paraprofessionals and support staff during the first year of their degree program, then they will work as full-time teachers of record under a Resident Educator Certificate (REC) during the second year of their degree program. Paraprofessional and Support Staff Track fellows will take courses for two summer, two fall, and two spring terms. Yale will provide full tuition, a living stipend of $46,000 minus their NHPS salary during their first year of the fellowship (if their NHPS salary is lower than $46,000), and a cohort experience. In exchange, fellows commit to teaching in NHPS for at least three years following degree program completion, during which they will receive ongoing mentorship.	Key Points: For current full-time NHPS teachers Gain a 1-year M.S. degree that prepares you to obtain cross-endorsement in Special Education at SCSU Full tuition benefit Commit to securing a full-time special education position in NHPS for at least 3 years following program completion The Current Teachers Track provides a route to cross-endorsement in Connecticut and a Master of Science from SCSU for current, full-time NHPS teachers. Each year, up to five certified teachers will be selected to pursue a one-year Master of Science degree that prepares them to obtain cross-endorsement in Special Education at SCSU, in support of district-identified needs. Current Teachers Track fellows will take courses for two summer terms, one fall term, and one spring term. Yale will provide full tuition. After completing their M.S. at SCSU, these fellows commit to securing a full-time special education position in the district for at least three years.
Eligibility & Application Requirements Here	Eligibility & Application Requirements Here	Eligibility & Application Requirements Here

3. Application & Selection Timeline

The Yale Teaching Fellowship is responsive to the needs of New Haven Public Schools. As such, fellows commit not only to teaching in NHPS for three years, but also to filling vacancies in schools and subject areas that have the greatest need. With this in mind, the selection committee will give special weight to:

A candidate’s willingness to teach in a shortage area, especially in a middle school
Evidence of sustained engagement with education, especially in New Haven, including demonstrated leadership in classrooms and schools

We especially welcome applications that will increase NHPS’ teacher diversity in the following areas:

Candidates from groups who are currently underrepresented in the NHPS workforce
Candidates who were low-income and/or first-generation college graduates
Candidates who have previously been or are currently involved in work aimed at creating diverse, inclusive environments for school-aged children (e.g., community service, neighborhood outreach efforts, and/or workplace or college/university initiatives)

The table below details the application and selection timeline for all fellowships.

Start Your Application

January 1, 2025	Applications due
January 25, 2025	Fellowship finalists notified NOTE: Finalists will have until February 1 (one week) to submit their degree program application to SCSU. (SCSU will waive the application fee)[1]
February 15, 2025	SCSU interviews begin
March 15, 2025	Fellowship interviews begin
April 15, 2025	Fellowship decisions released[2]
April 30, 2025	Deadline to accept the Fellowship. Fellows sign fellowship agreement and complete the NHPS background check.
May 15, 2025	SCSU’s deadline for fellows to take the Praxis® Core (if applicable)
May 27, 2025	Fellows begin summer term at SCSU

[1] As a finalist under consideration for the fellowship, you acknowledge and agree that SCSU will share the status of your application for admission to the SCSU degree program with Yale, New Haven Promise, and New Haven Public Schools in order for them to determine your eligibility to receive the fellowship.

[2] If you are offered the fellowship, your offer is contingent on a satisfactory background check conducted by New Haven Public Schools, and you acknowledge that New Haven Public Schools will inform Yale, New Haven Promise, and SCSU whether that background check is satisfactory.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

1. What counts toward my three-year commitment?

a. For fellows in the New Teachers and Paraprofessionals and Support Staff tracks, any full-time teaching position in NHPS would count toward their three-year commitment to the district. Fellows in the Current Teachers track commit to securing a full-time special education position in the district for three years.

b. In the event a fellow is not offered a full-time teaching position in NHPS by July 31st, they can complete their three-year commitment at another CT Alliance District. Fellows must provide notice of their intent to fulfill their three-year commitment at another CT Alliance District in advance.

2. What if I fail to complete my three-year teaching requirement?

a. If a fellow fails to complete their three-year employment requirement in NHPS or another CT Alliance District, they will be required to pay back a portion of their funding as follows: $10,000 will be owed if the fellow completes less than one year of their employment requirement; $6,666 will be owed if the fellow completes more than one year but less than two years of the employment requirement; and $3,333 will be owed if the fellow completes more than two years but less than three years of the employment requirement.

3. Which NHPS school will I teach in?

a. Fellows in the New Teachers track will be placed in a school with a fellowship mentor in their content area during their fellowship year and then go through NHPS’ regular hiring process to secure a full-time teaching position upon completion of the fellowship. Fellows in the Paraprofessionals and Support Staff Track will continue in their current position for the first year of their fellowship and then go through NHPS’ regular hiring process to secure a full-time teaching position in year two. Fellows in the Current Teachers Track will continue in their current position for their fellowship year and then go through NHPS’ regular hiring process to secure a full-time special education position upon completion of the fellowship.

4. What does the fellowship’s tuition funding include?

a. The fellowship’s tuition funding covers tuition and mandatory fees for the degree program’s academic terms applicable to your track. It does not cover non-mandatory fees or any past due bills for previous SCSU enrollment; fellows are responsible for resolving any unpaid SCSU bills before starting the fellowship.

5. Will I need to maintain a certain GPA at SCSU in order to remain eligible for fellowship funding from Yale?

a. Yes, fellows must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above in order to remain eligible for fellowship funding from Yale. (A cumulative GPA of 3.0+ is also required for graduation from SCSU graduate programs.)

6. I have other obligations in the summer—can I still apply for this fellowship?

a. All three tracks of this fellowship involve intensive, full-time summer coursework as part of specially designed, expedited degree programs. It is not recommended that fellows take on any other work or significant responsibilities in the summer.

7. I am a permanent resident and completed my B.A. degree overseas. Can I still apply for the fellowship?

a. Yes, see the “international students” section of SCSU’s admissions standards page for information on the application process for SCSU degree applicants who completed their undergraduate studies abroad.

8. Will I have health insurance during the Fellowship?

a. Health, Counseling, and Wellness Services are available to all registered SCSU students, regardless of insurance status. SCSU’s Student Health Services provides health care, medical case management, referrals, screenings, sexual/reproductive health care, and health promotion. They also partner with on-campus resources such as Counseling Services to assist in holistically addressing the needs of students who may be experiencing mental health or other concerns. For terms in which you are a full-time student at SCSU, you will also be covered under SCSU’s University Accident Policy. The cost of this accident policy, which covers accidents both on and off campus, is included in the general University fee that the Fellowship covers. SCSU’s Student Health Services does strongly encourage all students to keep health insurance in the event of a serious illness, injury, or unanticipated surgery. You can find more information on SCSU’s website.