FAQs

Q: What if I have a conflict at any point throughout Pre-Service Training?

Answer: You are allowed to miss 16 hours of training throughout the entirety of Pre-Service Training. We strongly believe in a correlation between your participation in training and your success at the start of the school year. Click here to read the full attendance policy.

Q: Will summer housing be provided for me during Miami Practicum training starting on June 23rd?

Answer: We're not sure, but we are aiming to provide rent-free housing through Barry University dorms. We provided rent-free housing before COVID-19, but our partners at Barry University have been unable to assist us due their COVID-19 policies. We are hoping that we can navigate this successfully this year given the tools available to combat COVID-19. We will provide you with real-time updates as they become available.

Q: I'm married. Can my spouse live with me during Pre-Service training?

Answer: Yes, provided if we are able to secure a housing contract with Barry University. You will have a double dorm room with two twin beds and a private bathroom. There are no kitchens in the rooms or the dorm. Dining will be in the dining hall. There will be more information about how to sign up for Family Housing and the associated costs in the months leading up to Pre-Service training.

Q: When do corps members typically find housing?

Answer: Typically corps members will secure housing in June or July. We highly encourage you to work with a realtor and have shared the name of a local realtor and TFA alum, Jasmin Calin. Unlike other cities, we have learned Miami landlords prefer to work with realtors rather than working with potential tenants directly.

Apartment prices can be steep; therefore most corps members choose to have a roommate and typically will choose to live with someone else from Teach For America. Our corps members tell us that they find the person they want to live with as they onboard or during summer training! Most corps members will secure housing before they know where they will be teaching in the fall. The good news is that most of our schools are located within 20-25 minutes of one another, providing corps members with a very average, normal commute regardless of where they settle.

Q: When will I know what I’m teaching and where?

Answer: You will start to attend interviews with our principals and Miami-Dade County Public Schools in late July. This year, we are exploring staggered hiring. This means we are seeking to hire corps members into schools as they complete their preemployment requirements. Corps members will learn of their school and specific grade-level placement during the month of August and just prior to the start of school.

Q: My friend will be teaching in another region and their testing timeline and the exams that need to be taken are different. What’s up?

Answer: Each region is different and each district within the state of Florida is as well! Our district requires that our corps members come in highly qualified. Highly qualified teachers are required to pass both their GKT (General Knowledge Test) and their SAE (Subject Area Exams) prior to the start of school. We will work to support each and every corps member as they work to gain the certification necessary to teach within Miami-Dade County Public Schools.