The Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Residency is an exciting opportunity for education majors during their senior year.

In partnership with Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), the program's full year of immersive clinical experience provides student-teaching support and professional development. Student teachers who successfully complete their residency graduate with the knowledge and experience to step into their own classrooms fully prepared from day one.

Residency Program Highlights

  • Residency occurs during the senior year of your bachelor’s degree. It's an alternative option to satisfy the traditional student-teaching requirement.
  • Mandatory summer orientation prepares teacher candidates for success, and continued support throughout the experience is provided by mentor teachers, field supervisors, professors and the Teacher Quality Partnership team.
  • Starting from classroom pre-planning, teacher candidates co-teach with a mentor teacher throughout the school week, participating in a wide range of classroom and coursework-aligned learning experiences. 
  • Saturday, evening and online courses are offered, and Friday is reserved for attending class or professional development sessions. Teacher candidates receive a living wage stipend throughout their residency.
  • After completing the residency program, teacher candidates commit to employment within Gwinnett County Public Schools for a predefined period of approximately two years. Teacher candidates may be invited to continue as a teacher in their residency placement school or to teach within Gwinnett County.

Applicant Requirements

  • Complete junior year courses, field requirements and the Educator Preparation Program.
  • Earn a 2.50 GPA or above.
  • Express a strong desire to participate in the residency program with a clear idea of required commitment.
  • Receive proficient and/or exemplary ratings on all areas of the Candidate Assessment Performance and Candidate Dispositions Performance Assessment instruments by both mentor teacher and GGC college supervisor. 
  • Demonstrate effective oral and written communication.
  • Provide a college supervisor and course professor recommendation.
  • Complete interview process.

Teacher Candidate Expectations

  • Follow course and clinical program schedule and maintain proficient scores.
  • Follow district policies for employment in GCPS and assume all required responsibilities as a co-teacher in GCPS.
  • Build and maintain positive professional relationships with cohort members, lead mentor teacher(s), site liaisons, faculty, GGC faculty and staff, and GCPS staff.
  • Ensure all conversations about students and classes are objective and confidential, and refrain from discussions that are not for a professional purpose.
  • Act, speak and dress professionally at all times.
  • Be on time for coursework, at clinical site and all other professional assignments.
  • Communicate timely and professionally with all cohort members, lead mentor teacher(s), site liaisons, faculty, GGC faculty and staff, and GCPS staff.

Teacher candidates will continually improve on their ability to demonstrate culturally responsive, reflective, coachable and collaborative dispositions. Teacher candidates will also continually work toward being a competent analytical problem solver, while being organized, perseverant and resilient. Dispositions of sound moral and ethical behaviors are expected.