Thank you for applying to Teach Kentucky. The application process outlined in the application checklist is the integration of three separate and distinct activities:

• Application for employment as a teacher in Jefferson/Shelby/Spencer/Henry County Public Schools
• Application for admission to University of Louisville's College of Education and Human Development's Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program (also referred to as an alternative route to certification)
• Application for the Teach Kentucky program benefits from the alumni sponsors of the program

The strategic partners have endeavored to unify these three processes, but it is YOUR responsibility to meet the qualifications of each one. You will be receiving communications directly from each of the entities as you proceed through the application process. However, feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at Teach Kentucky at anytime with any questions you may have.

Please complete all steps of Phase I to initiate your application

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1. Transcript Evaluation

In this critical step the University of Louisville's College of Education and Human Development will share their initial evaluation of your qualifications for admission to the University's MAT program. They may suggest additional undergraduate course work required to be admitted. Don't be discouraged, this is not unusual and can be addressed in a number of ways. Please contact Teach Kentucky to discuss all of these options at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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2. Praxis Registration

A critical element in your initial application process is successfully passing the Praxis II exam above Kentucky's required threshold. This requirement is a pre-requisite to participating in Teach Kentucky.

It is imperative you immediately register for the proper exam recommended by the University of Louisville's College of Education and Human Development and the District(s) in the transcript evaluation.

Please visit the ETS Website to find the exam that is required by the state of Kentucky for the content area in which you expect to teach. For example, if you want to teach middle school language arts you would register for test 10049. REMEMBER do NOT register for the Principles in Learn and Teaching exams, you will takes these once you have completed the first year of your UofL course work.

Please report your Praxis scores as soon as you receive them. This can be done in Phase IV of the process.

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3. GRE Registration UofL

You are required to take the general GRE exam for admission to University of Louisville Graduate Schools and the College of Education and Human Development. Please promptly report your scores on the day of the exam in Phase IV.

GRE Registration

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4. Submit Application Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS)

The Jefferson County Public Schools online application starts the process for your employment. Teach Kentucky applicants should apply on line under Teacher Training Program. Your application will initiate their evaluation including a subsequent phone interview and letters of recommendation. Occasionally, candidates have difficulty submitting the online application so please contact us immediately so we can aid in your submission.

Begin the JCPS Online Application

Submit Application Shelby County Public Schools

The Shelby County Public Schools application starts the process for your employment. Your application will initiate their evaluation including a subsequent phone interview and letters of recommendation. Occasionally, candidates have difficulty submitting the online application so please contact us immediately so we can aid in your submission.

Submit Application Henry County Public Schools

Please request a hard copy application by emailing Kricket McClure at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

4b. Submit Supplemental Information (JCPS/Spencer/Shelby/Henry

We encourage you to submit additional information that will illuminate our perspective on your experience and/or qualifications to teach. Things that would be helpful are letters of recommendations, special project reports, work with exceptional teachers, direct teaching experiences, or even some non-traditional items. Please send them as Microsoft Word documents so they can be easily shared.

Upload your Microsoft Word or PDF formatted document:

Suplemental Information

First and Last Name (*)	Please Enter Your First and Last Name.
Email Address (*)	Please enter your email address.
Select Your Supplemental Information	Only .doc, .docx or .pdf file types are allowed.

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5. Interview Preparation

Jefferson/Shelby will administer a phone screening interview. The interview is designed to reveal your characteristics; however it is designed in an educational context using educational terminology. The following are a series of questions and links to information which may assist you in preparing for this interview. We advise you to spend several hours reflecting on these questions and reviewing the literature.

Interview Suggestions:

There are always questions about the interview. We encourage you to CALL Rowan Claypool prior to the interview: (502) 458-0830.

The goal of the interview is to determine your temperament and attitudes relative to teaching in an urban school district. There is a great deal of preparation you can do and we have included an email from one of our teachers, Susan Gaunt, sharing her counsel below.

In addition, we strongly suggest you review the Jefferson County site including core content issues and know the key facts about the district. Also check the Kentucky Department of education website so you can discuss the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). KERA is a big deal in KY and knowing their goals is important 9 terms like proficiency, novice etc., the importance of 2014, school based management etc.).

Finally, this is an awkward interview format for most folks. It is timed and they simply read the question and then write down your verbatim answers. This interview is NOT a dialogue or a discussion. Relax and you will do fine, but be prepared for the format

Some pages to review on the JCPS site:

• JCPS Board Quality Indicators
• Additional Information for students

From Kentucky Department of Education website:

• Teaching Tools
• Program of Studies
• Curriculum Documents & Resources
• Middle School

Advice from Susan Gaunt

My name is Susan Gaunt, Yale '02, and I was one of the first people to join Teach Kentucky. Rowan emailed and said you guys had some questions about the JCPS phone interview.

My first bit of advice is go with your instincts on how long to take to answer. Obviously, some questions may take much longer than others. I would guess the whole thing will probably run 20-40 minutes.

You can expect some questions about your background...you know, the basic, "So tell me about yourself" interview question. Think about how you can relate it all to your decision to go into education.

Why are you interested in teaching? (that one's almost definitely going to be there)

Those are the basic background questions. But, they are likely to ask you a little more about your theories on education.

For instance:

• Do you believe all children can learn at high levels?
  (the answer here, is yes, you do.)

• What will you do if you encounter problems in the classroom?
  (Talk to colleagues with more experience, university professors, mentors, school administrators and counselors, contact the parents, set up daily behavior logs, write letters home, phone calls home, daily emails. Stress importance of consistency in classroom)

• How will you incorporate parents into your classroom?
  (class trips, letters to parents about big projects, guest speakers. Say how excited you are about how email has changed teacher's abilities to communicate with parents. Say a well timed phone call can always help)

• Are you interested in working in an urban school?
  (Yes, you are. One thing you like about the Jefferson county school system is all the diversity within the schools, and the variety of choices that parents are presented with. stress the right of all students to have high quality teachers and education.)

That is some of the stuff they will almost certainly ask you. Some things to stress throughout the interview:

You really like the CATS system. As a first year, inexperienced teacher, you are very interested in the districts curriculum guides and believe they will really help you teach the students the info they need, as well as help you structure your lessons through out the year. Teaching to the CAT, the end of year test, is not teaching to the CAT--you like the scope and breadth of the test material.

Stress collaboration, with other teachers, with parents. Acknowledge that your first year may be challenging and talk about people who you will have to help you and your willingness to ask for advice.

Also, no matter what you will be teaching, make sure you stress how you plan to incorporate literacy (ie reading and writing into your instruction). for instance...social studies poetry or newspaper articles, historical novels; math daily logs of what they learned.

Lastly...diversity. How will you make every student in the room feel welcome? This is important. Explain how you will foster an atmosphere of respect and tolerance.

I know all this is pretty cheesy...but on this interview, that's what you want. Try to make yourself sound believeable. for some of the questions, there will be "right" answers. Think about your audience and, to some extent, give them what they want to hear.

If you have any questions about the process or about living in Da'ville, let me know. I'd be more than happy to talk.

Good luck!

Susan Gaunt

Some additional advice from others:

1. Think about how you will lesson plan for your classes.
2. Think about how you will engage your students with the topics and content you teach-how you will make it "real."
3. Think about what strategies you will use to motivated an unmotivated student
4. Think about the ways you would handle a difficult teacher/parent conference with a belligerent parent
5. Reflect on what things motivate you to teach. This is a great time to elaborate on your teaching experiences and how you will benefit from those experiences
6. Give some thought to the challenges of teaching students who are a multiple levels of competence in your class. This a good issue to discuss with other seasoned teachers.
7. Think about qualities and limitation in yourself that will make you a good teacher or require growth.
8. Be mindful of thinking through your own awareness of diversity in an urban school setting.

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6. Phone Interview

Once you have received a satisfactory content evaluation from the University of Louisville's College of Education and Human Development, JCPS/Shelby will complete their employment evaluation. They will contact you to set up a one hour phone interview. Please contact Teach Kentucky if you would like some pointers from previous participants at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it