Choosing to enter the teaching profession, especially as a recent graduate without an education degree, can feel like stepping into the unknown.
The Meeting Street Schools Teaching Fellows program ensures aspiring teachers are best positioned for success in their first year. The Fellowship accomplishes that by:
- Offering ongoing coaching and real-time feedback
- Pairing every Fellow with an experienced educator for a full year of co-teaching
- Ensuring Fellows meet their school leader before committing to a placement
- Creating a system of excellence that maximizes students’ potential for growth.
- Rewarding effective Fellows with significant performance bonuses
Best-in-class training & support
In some fellowship models, training is limited to a short, high-intensity summer session before teachers assume full classroom responsibility. And their placement schools may operate with varying expectations and levels of support for early-career educators.
At Meeting Street Schools, the initial and ongoing training are part of the same system, and Teaching Fellows experience a sustained development series that includes:
- New Teacher Academy that equips Fellows with the skills needed to teach on Day 1
- A yearlong training program that develops key areas for effective teaching
- Real-time feedback from leaders during rehearsals, lessons and after class
- After-school sessions that provide targeted training in areas where Fellows most need help.
Co-teaching
In many districts, first-year teachers are expected to figure out how to lead a class without meaningful support. At Meeting Street Schools, Fellows are never left to navigate their first year alone.
Every Teaching Fellow is paired with a veteran co-teacher for the full school year. These experienced educators are masters of their craft who model rigorous instruction, strong classroom culture and unwavering expectations for students.
This model accelerates growth. Instead of learning through trial and error in isolation, Fellows develop within a structured partnership that prioritizes skill-building and continuous improvement.
A perfect match
Another major risk in some fellowships is that candidates commit to an organization, but ultimately land in a school they know nothing about.
Meeting Street Schools eliminates this uncertainty by offering prospective Fellows the opportunity to learn specific school cultures before making a decision.
Our Teaching Fellow candidates meet the school principal they’ll work with to understand expectations, leadership style and personal values. They also know the specific state and community where they’ll serve.
System of excellence
In other programs, new teachers sometimes are placed in struggling systems and expected to be the lone bright spot. At Meeting Street Schools, Fellows are never operating alone.
Meeting Street Schools offers a unified system of excellence. Classrooms are structured consistently. Expectations for behavior and academic rigor are clear. Leaders and teachers use the same instructional playbook. Professional development is aligned.
Because everyone is rowing in the same direction, the impact is multiplied. And instead of navigating chaos, Fellows join a cohesive, high-performing team committed to delivering exceptional outcomes for students.
Performance pay
Teaching Fellows receive a competitive base salary along with the opportunity to earn significant performance bonuses tied to students’ proficiency and growth. This structure reflects Meeting Street Schools’ deep investment in attracting, developing and retaining top talent.
More importantly, it signals something fundamental about our values: teaching is serious work, and it deserves serious compensation.
Meeting Street Schools invests in teachers because strong teachers change lives. And when teachers spark meaningful improvement, that success is celebrated with financial incentives.
A different kind of fellowship
The Meeting Street Schools Teaching Fellows program is supportive and relentlessly focused on excellence. Every element of the program is designed to set our Fellows and students up for long-term success.
It’s not just a fellowship; it’s the foundation of an extraordinary career.
