Six Things to Know About TKY

Six Things to Know About Teach Kentucky

1. Our Teachers Know Their Content:

· We had 245 applicants last year, but only accepted 23 into the program.

· All TKY teachers score in the top quartile on their content specific Praxis II content exams.

· Their scores are significantly above Kentucky standards and, we believe leads to long-term exceptional teachers.

· Our teachers primarily serve in high needs Title One schools.

· Our teachers primarily teach Math or Science the highest need content areas.

2. Our Teachers Complete Their Commitments:

· 73% of the 82 teachers we have recruited over eight years are still teaching in Kentucky.

· 100% of those who survive the first year (12% do not) complete their two-year commitment.

· Completing the two-year commitment also means earning an MAT degree which they all do.

· Our teachers are pursuing additional leadership roles. One has earned National Board Certification. One has completed his administration certification, almost all second year teachers have a leadership roles in their school.

· Even though our teachers are young, several are completing second degrees that will enhance their teaching skills.

3. They Stick to Teaching and in Greater Louisville:

· Our retention rate in the teaching profession  (those teaching in Kentucky and elsewhere) is 84%.

· We believe inducing well-qualified new teachers into the teaching profession is a significant addition to the national educational system even if they go to teach somewhere else.

· Our teachers also make Greater Louisville home. Nineteen of the 43 teachers (45%) who have been in town two-years have purchased homes. They have done it on their teachers' salaries.

4. We are Supported by the Community:

· We believe our teachers have to be successful residents as well successful teachers.

· Teach Kentucky assigns two adult mentors to each new participant. These are well connected folks in the community that serve as a critical resource as new teacher become residents. Collectively, they form a constellation of caring adults around our new teachers. The effect is all our teachers quickly feel at home and are vested in the community where they teach.

· Teach Kentucky has forged critical strategic partnerships with the University of Louisville’s College of Education and Human Development and four local school districts primarily Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS).

· Teach Kentucky is a 501-c 3charitable organization which has a nine member Board of directors. It is supported by numerous local foundations including: James Graham Brown Foundation, CE&S Foundation, Gheens Foundation, AEGON Foundation, Humana Foundation, E ON US Foundation, Cralle Foundation, and major corporations: Senior Care, E ON US, and numerous individuals including all our board members.

5. Our Teachers Make a Difference:

· The longevity of our teachers’ commitments makes their investment lasting.

· Our cohort of teacher teaches 7,100 students every day.

· They teach roughly 15% of Jefferson County middle schoolers and 5% of Shelby County middle schoolers, the two districts where we have the highest concentration of teachers.

· One of our teachers routinely has commentaries published. Check out Questions for Schools.

6. We are not Teach for America

· We are trying to do something different than Teach for America.

· Our mission is to attract well-qualified new teachers with a long-term interest in the education profession who are open to staying in Kentucky.

· We invest mightily in making Greater Louisville and our community an appealing long-term home for our participants.

· Likewise, we make a programmatic investment in our participants getting fully certified so they have earned the legal right to be a teacher and elevated their status in the teaching profession by earning a Master’s degree.

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