Richmond Teacher Residency

More about Richmond Teacher Residency

The Richmond Teacher Residency (RTR) Program is a partnership between Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond Public Schools (RPS), and the Center for Teacher Leadership (CTL) at VCU School of Education. RTR’s goal is to increase RPS student achievement by recruiting, preparing, and sustaining outstanding middle and high school teachers for Richmond Public Schools who are committed to social justice and the elimination of educational inequities. This is a four-year service program. A Master of Teaching (M.T.) degree and a Virginia teaching license in secondary education is earned during the first year. This is followed by an additional two years of mentoring provided by a highly trained career coach as residents begin their teaching careers in Richmond Public Schools. In the last year of the program, support for National Board Certification is provided at no cost to RTR participants. One unique feature of the program is that all residents are required to live in Cold Storage Loft Apartments during their first year as part of an emphasis on developing a strong living and learning environment. A $19,000 stipend is provided to defray living expenses during the first year of the residency along with a special rate for tuition and reduced housing costs. Prerequisites for the program include a major in math, biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, physics, English, political science or history; a 3.0 GPA and passing scores on Praxis I & II (content area).