TEACH JPS

The TEACH JPS Residency Program is a comprehensive teacher preparation initiative designed to recruit, prepare, graduate, and retain highly effective and diverse educators from within the Jackson community. Through a 2-year, immersive residency program, aspiring teachers earn their bachelor’s degree while working alongside experienced educators in JPS classrooms.

Admitted residents will receive full funding for tuition, books, and fees. In addition to completing coursework, residents will be employed as Instructional Assistants at designated training site locations, serving in either Early Childhood Education (Pre-K or Kindergarten) or Elementary Education classrooms.

Upon accepting placement in the program and beginning work in Jackson Public Schools, each resident agrees to a three-year commitment to serve as a full-time teacher in JPS following graduation and full licensure as a Mississippi certified teacher. Training sites will have the first right of refusal for hiring once a resident becomes eligible for classroom teaching positions.

How to Apply

The application window is April 11-May 2, 2025. Candidates must complete the TEACH JPS online application and submit all supporting documents by 4 p.m. Friday, May 2, 2025. For information about completing the application, refer to the TEACH JPS Program Application Instructions (PDF).

JPS Teacher Certification Initiative

In October 2020, JPS began to partner with colleges and universities around the state to establish the JPS Teacher Certification Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to provide a pathway to standard Mississippi educator certification for provisionally licensed district employees through the university alternate route and degree programs. Through this collaborative effort, JPS provides support to teachers seeking a five-year license by paying for one or more classes to assist them in the certification process. Teachers who receive this assistance agree to three (3) years of service with JPS.

Currently, JPS is partnered with William Carey University (Participants complete requirements for certification only)and is striving to expand this partnership to address teacher shortage issues in hard-to-fill areas:

To learn more about the JPS Teacher Certification Initiative, please contact the JPS Office of Recruitment at (601) 985-3159.