Teaching in Arizona
Our Schools and Students
For the 2013 Fellow cohort, Arizona Teaching Fellows will recruite outstanding candidates to teach in Northeastern Arizona, Phoenix, and Yuma–diverse districts that share a need for dedicated teachers with expertise in critical-shortage subjects.
More than 80% of students in our partner districts in Phoenix are from low-income families, and approximately 15% of students are English language learners, with an additional 15% of students requiring special education services. In Yuma, nearly 70% of students are from low-income families, and 79% are Hispanic, with large proportions of English language learners and students with disabilities enrolled as well.
Working with such a diverse and high-need population brings rewards and challenges, but Fellows hold high expectations for students and themselves, ensuring that all students get the support they need to succeed in school.
An Excellent Education for Every Child—Across Arizona, teachers, administrators, students, and families are working together to fulfill this statewide mission to raise academic achievement. In recent years, they have seen some real progress, with fourth-grade reading proficiency levels rising from just 52% in 2005 to 66% in 2009.
But even as much work remains to boost student achievement state wide, high-need students continue to lag behind their peers in Arizona. Reading proficiency among fourth-grade Hispanic students – who are disproportionately represented in the schools where Fellows work—remains much lower than their peers statewide, with only 42% of fourth-graders reading on grade level in 2009.
The need is great, but with outstanding teachers like you in the classroom, we know we can change these statistics.
Navajo-Apache Counties of North East Arizona
Fall 2012, Arizona Teaching Fellows will place a founding Fellow cohort within the communities and schools of Northeastern Arizona. The majority of the schools in these districts have not met standards based on state mandated achievement tests. This is a unique opportunity to work to close the achievement gap for the youth of Arizona’s high country. Current partner districts include:
Phoenix
Arizona Teaching Fellows work in Phoenix schools that enroll large numbers of disadvantaged students, meaning that Fellows must be especially committed to helping students overcome challenges that threaten to derail their academic success. Current partner districts include:
Yuma
In 2009, fewer than half of eighth graders met state math standards in Yuma’s Crane Elementary School District. That same year, barely half of students in the Yuma Union High School District met state writing standards. Yuma students can’t afford to wait for student achievement to improve incrementally. Yuma is a proud community with diverse cultural beauty. Yuma's youth are counting on great teachers to help them beat the odds and achieve their potential. Current partner districts include: