Candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements to apply. No previous coursework in education or teaching experience is required. However, candidates must:

• Have a bachelor's degree
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher (or exceptional achievement previously demonstrated)
• Be eligible to work in Chicago Public Schools
• Meet Illinois state testing requirements
• Not be certified to teach in any state
• Not be enrolled in a certification program or have completed more than 5 certification courses
• Meet subject area eligibility requirements

You must have a bachelor's degree
Candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree or expect to have their degree conferred no later than June 30, 2009 are eligible to apply. A bachelor's degree is a requirement for Illinois certification.

Candidates who received credit from foreign universities must have their transcripts evaluated by one of the two foreign credential evaluation agencies approved by Chicago Public Schools:

Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box 92970
Milwaukee, WI 53202-0970
Telephone: 414-289-3400
Fax: 414-289-3411
Web Site: http://www.ece.org

When requesting an evaluation, candidates should ensure that the evaluating agency specifically states that the individual has received the U.S. equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in his/her subject area (if applicable) AND provides a full listing of coursework.

If invited to interview, candidates must submit evaluations of any foreign transcripts.  A decision will not be made regarding a candidate’s final status unless foreign transcript evaluations have been received.

You must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher or exceptional achievement previously demonstrated
Individuals must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher from an accredited college or university. In some instances, consideration may be given for individuals who display exceptional past achievement elsewhere. Candidates with less than a 3.0 GPA will have the opportunity in the online application to address any issues that may be relevant to their academic performance. 

If invited to an interview, candidates must provide at least one official transcript from each college/university attended. A total of five (5) official transcripts from each college/university attended will be needed to completely enroll at the university and with CPS. We strongly encourage candidates to request official transcript copies as soon as possible to avoid delays in submitting them to the program at the interview event.

You must be eligible to work in Chicago Public Schools (CPS)
As a condition of employment by CPS, candidates must provide photo identification and proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency with a valid green card.

Candidates who are accepted into the program must successfully pass an examination to determine that they are in good health and free of tuberculosis before teaching in a Chicago Public School. A physician must provide the results of the TB skin test or chest x-ray – as well as the date on which the test was performed and read- to comply with Illinois School Code.

Finally, if accepted into the program, candidates must authorize CPS to forward their names to law enforcement officials for the purpose of a criminal background check and agree to execute any forms required by said officials for such purposes.

You must meet Illinois state testing requirements
Candidates must take and pass the Illinois Certification Testing System (ICTS) Basic Skills test and the required content area test(s) that correlates with the subject that the Fellow is assigned to teach. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply to the Chicago Teaching Fellows program even if they have not yet taken these exams. However, admission to the program is contingent upon passage of required tests.

For more important information on testing requirements, please click here.

You must not be a certified teacher
Because Chicago Teaching Fellows was specifically created to recruit individuals from a variety of disciplines in order to increase the number of highly-qualified individuals entering the teaching field, certified and provisionally certified teachers are not eligible for the program. 

Certified teachers are strongly encouraged to contact the Chicago Public Schools Department of Human Resources and to apply through the regular application process.

You must not be enrolled in a certification program
Because Chicago Teaching Fellows was specifically created to recruit individuals from a variety of disciplines in order to increase the number of highly-qualified individuals entering the teaching field, individuals currently enrolled in a certification program are not eligible to apply. Also, if you have completed more than 5 certification courses, you are well on your way to earning teacher certification and are not eligible to apply for the program. 

Additionally, if you have been previously enrolled in any CPS alternative certification program, you are not eligible to apply for the Chicago Teaching Fellows program. 

Subject Area Eligibility
Fellows will teach in science, math, Spanish, Chinese, and special education classrooms – some of the greatest areas of need in the district. Eligibility requirements vary by subject and are established by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).  Candidates must meet subject area eligibility requirements before they are eligible to teach a subject area.    

The Chicago Teaching Fellows program will be accepting applications from candidates who are eligible to teach math, science, Spanish, Chinese, or special education.

Fellows are responsible for registering for and passing the Basic Skills test and required content area tests in a timely manner.

For more information on testing requirements, please click here.

Spanish Requirements

Spanish Fellows may also be required to pass the ACTFL exam as part of their university entrance requirements.

Chinese Requirements (for candidates with 20 hours of Chinese coursework)

Chinese Fellows with 20 hours of Chinese coursework may also be required to pass the ACTFL exam as part of their university entrance requirements.

Chinese Requirements (for candidates who do not have 20 hours of Chinese coursework but are fluent in Mandarin Chinese)

Due to the length of the Basic Skills test and the Foreign Language: Chinese (Mandarin) (126) content area test, these exams may not be taken on the same testing day.

High School Math Requirements

*Please note that Accounting, Finance, and Business courses will not count toward this requirement.

Middle Grades Math Requirements

*Please note that Accounting, Finance, and Business courses will not count toward this requirement.

High School Science Requirements

*Please note that social science coursework will not count toward this requirement.

Middle Grades Science Requirements

Special Education Requirements

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