A critical piece of the Onboarding experience is your portfolio.  Your portfolio serves two purposes: 

1.  A centralized location for any documents or artifacts related to Onboarding 

2. A way for you to keep track of your progress to ensure you're in good standing 

To access your portfolio, click the button below. 

Onboarding FAQs

We are getting close to Pre-Service Training and the time in which you'll report to Houston, and there are a lot of questions coming up! Answers to some frequently asked questions are below: 

Office Hours 

If this FAQ page does not answer your questions, your next step is to attend office hours. Here are the dates and links: 

• Mondays from 11-12 CST | Zoom Link | Password: 772603

• Wednesdays from 4-5 CST | Zoom Link |Password: 998008

Certification

• When do I need to take my tests by? 

  • June 30th is the deadline to pass all exams. However, please attempt to take and pass your exams at the earliest date possible. 

• What happens if I fail my test?

  • Please take the following steps to get approval for a retake: 

1. Notify Teach For America and your ACP

2. Upload your score report to your portfolio

3. Study for 4 hours on certify teacher for each section you failed

4. Take, pass, and upload a diagnostic with an 80%

• • • • • • Please put these diagnostics in a new folder labeled "Retake Diagnostics" 

5. Send Kendall (kendall.wipff@teachforamerica.org) and Shandrea (shandrea.sellers@teachforamerica.org) an email letting us know you have completed the requirements so we can request retake approval ASAP. 

• • There is a 30 day waiting period between exam attempts. Once you are approved for a retake, schedule it at the earliest available date. 

• What are the study requirements for my exam? What supports do we provide?

  • View the study requirements, deadlines, and supports here. Visit the Certification page on the HUB for additional resources. 

• Who should I contact with questions about 240 Tutoring? 

  • Your first step is to attend office hours. If you aren't able to, contact Shandrea Sellers with questions about 240 Tutoring status. 

• Who should I contact with questions about HISD ACP or Teaching Excellence? 

  • Your first step is to attend office hours. If you aren't able to, contact Shandrea Sellers or Kendall Wipff if you have questions about HISD ACP or Teaching Excellence. 

Hiring

• When should I expect to have a job?

  • This depends on your district. Some districts have already begun interviewing. Expect to interview between April and July. 

• Can I get hired before I pass my exams? 

  • If you are placed in Houston ISD or Aldine ISD, you need to pass your content exam prior to interviewing at a school. All corps members regardless of district are expected to pass all certification exams by June 30th. 

• Who should I contact if I have questions about hiring/an application/interviews? 

  • Your first step is to attend office hours. If you aren't able to: 

    • For Aldine ISD and Houston ISD, contact Sara Butler or Grace Simmons. 

    • For KIPP, YES Prep, and BakerRipley contact Kendall Wipff. 

Transition to Houston

• When do I have to be in Houston? Corps members are expected to be settled in Houston by Friday, July 16th. Teaching Excellence and HISD ACP will hold required trainings the week of July 19th, and teachers will report to campuses starting on July 26th (this depends on your district.) 

  • View summer dates HERE. 

• Is housing provided this summer? 

  • Housing is not provided this summer. You should be settled into your own home/apartment on July 16th. As a reminder, Teach For America is providing a $2,000 stipend to offset cost of living this summer for corps members. You will need to sign a promissory note in May in order to receive this funding. 

• Where should I live? 

  • Where you live is up to you; however, consider that Houston is a big city and be mindful of the time it will take you to commute. We recognize that most corps members don't have their placement yet. Many corps members choose to live within the 610 loop or between the 610 and Beltway 8 loops and commute out to their placement school. 

• How do I look for an apartment? 

  • We have several apartment locators listed in the "Connection to Community" section of the HUB who can support you in finding a place to live. The apartment locating services are totally free for you - no catch, we promise! 

• Should I have a roommate? 

  • Your living situation is a very personal choice. If you are comfortable living with a roommate, we strongly recommend it! Living with a fellow corps member helps provide a sense of community and an extra layer of support. It is also a good financial move during your first year teaching. 

• Can Teach For America send me an employment verification letter? 

  • While TFA is not your employer, we are able to provide you with a corps member verification letter that explains our program and provides the district you're expected to be hired in along with salary. To request one of these letters, send Kendall a Slack message.

    • Note: We understand that there is often a quick turnaround time for these letters given the nature of apartment applications. When possible, please request these letters at least 24 hours in advance to allow us time to process your request. 

Other:

• I have specific questions that weren't answered above. How can I speak with someone about my questions? 

  • First, attend Office Hours on Mondays from 11-12 CST or Wednesdays from 4-5 CST.

  • If you can't attend office hours, schedule time with Kendall here. 

  • We are fielding a lot of questions via Slack/email/text. If you are unable to attend office hours or schedule time, you can Slack our team for urgent requests. We will respond to you as soon as possible, typically within 24-48 business hours. 

• I can't access my portfolio! What should I do? 

  • First, make sure you're logged onto the email address you provided to TFA. If you still can't access it/upload documents, send Sara Butler a message on Slack. 

• I completed X item a while ago and it's not showing up on my tracker. 

  • We update trackers twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays. If you have completed an item but it is not showing up, send a Slack message to the appropriate member of our team: 

    • For certification (240 tutoring, score reports, registrations, etc.), onboarding survey, certification call, testing policy agreement, headshot, and PIF, contact Shandrea Sellers. 

    • For resume, mock interview, and AmeriCorps documents, contact Sara Butler.