To be eligible for CMS Teaching Residency,

• Hold a bachelor's degree
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.7 from your undergrad coursework, graduate coursework, or a combination of both.   Applicants with a GPA below 2.7 can satisfy this requirement through GPA forgiveness.  A GPA forgiveness program involves taking two classes through college/university or online college courses that have been approved by CMS Teaching Residency, and earning a 2.7 or greater in each class.  Both classes need to be completed with a 2.7 GPA or greater before attending the pre-service training and teaching under a resident license. 
• Meet all legal requirements to work in the United States.
• Have at least 24 hours of relevant coursework determined by the licensure department or take and pass all state-required exams for your licensure area. You can use our testing guide for the areas offered through CMS Teaching Residency.  This guide includes titles of the tests you need, passing scores and the links to get you registered. 
• Do NOT currently hold a continuing educator's license or certificate in any state.

This program is at a minimum of 13 months, which includes an intensive 5-week pre-service training. Pre-service training is conducted on a blended platform (virtual and in person) and is an unpaid experience. There are 2 options for pre-service training; February-March (which is ONLY for current CMS employees seeking licensure in the areas of elementary, ECGC, ECAC &ML) and June-July, which is for all candidates seeking licensure in any of the content areas within CMS Teaching Residency (see below).  Pre-service training is followed by a year-long clinical residency as a full-time teacher, including instructional support, testing support and online coursework. Two additional years can be provided if needed to meet the state testing requirements. 

Residents will receive a Residency License upon successful completion of pre-service training and a Professional License once all program, district and state requirements are met.  This includes all required state exams and edTPA.  This can take as little as a year or no more than 3 years total, depending on your eligibility. 

We are recruiting for the following content areas:

• Birth through Kindergarten
• Elementary K-6
• Exceptional Children (General and Adaptive Curriculum)
• Multilingual Learner
• Secondary English/Language Arts (Middle & High School)
• Secondary Math (Middle & High School)
• Secondary Science (Middle & High School)
• Secondary History/Social Studies (Middle & High School)

You will be asked to give your preference for subject area through your CMSTR enrollment process.

• Tuition for CMS Teaching Residency is $2000.00.
• There is a Non-Refundable Enrollment fee of $250.00 for CMS internal applicants and $500.00 for external candidates, which will be applied to your tuition balance that is due during your "clinical residency."  However, if you are a current employee, you will need to have your enrollment fee of $250 paid in order to be declared for the following school year. 
• Testing: State-required certification tests start at about $140 per test and vary depending on the exam. For more information about which exams you'll need to take, download our testing guide at the bottom of this webpage.
• edTPA: The application fee of $300 is for the state-required portfolio process. There may be additional fees if you need to resubmit a part of your portfolio. Registration takes place in October/November. 

Candidates accepted into CMS Teaching Residency may be eligible for financial support through CMS Foundation. These are not scholarships you apply for. CMS Foundation secures funds from private donors each year and then determines the scholarship eligibility and amount based on the amount of funds received along with the program vision and goals. We usually have the scholarship information ready to share at the start of school for all recipients. We will share this information during our cohort meetings, newsletters, and email when it becomes available to us in the fall, the start of your program.

HOWEVER, you can get up to $100 reimbursed to you for the cost of applying and enrolling in our program from our friends at TeachNC.  All you have to do is create a TeachNC account before you submit your application to our residency program. After you pay your enrollment fee to CMS Teaching Residency, submit that receipt to TeachNC and they’ll send up to $100 right back to you!  Follow the steps below BEFORE applying to CMS Teaching Residency:

1. Create a FREE TeachNC account be sure to do this first to be eligible!
2. Complete the enrollment form for CMS Teaching Residency sent from licensure after applying to the Alternative License Pathway job posting.  Receive the "welcome email" from CMS Teaching Residency that says "congratulations" you are enrolled in CMS Teaching Residency.  
3. Pay your enrollment fee to secure your spot in our program!  Keep a screenshot of your receipt and the email from CMS Teaching Residency saying "Congratulations" 
4. Click on the following TeachNC link and submit receipt for the enrollment fee, so TeachNC will pay you back up to $100!

Like all prospective CMS teachers, residents will need to apply for open teaching positions that fit their interests and qualifications, interview, and be selected by individual principals. Since the residency focuses on specific subject areas in high demand across the district, we expect the residents who successfully complete pre-service training to be strong candidates for many positions. Our team will also provide resources and support to help residents navigate the hiring process. Keep in mind that you will not be eligible to apply for or interview for any teaching position until you have been cleared as eligible. Teaching positions are usually posted in the spring for the upcoming school year, so it is in your best interest to prioritize preparing for and taking your required tests as early as possible.

Once you have secured a teaching position, residents will earn the same salary and benefits as other CMS teachers. For more information, see the CMS teacher salary schedules.