Lipscomb University, Memphis Teacher Residency partner to address teacher shortage
Two of the state’s top teacher prep programs collaborate to train more teachers to fill workforce needs in Memphis-area schools
Kim Chaudoin |
Two of Tennessee’s top teacher preparation programs are partnering to equip and train more educators to address workforce needs in the state. Lipscomb University and the Memphis Teacher Residency (MTR) are beginning the new year partnering to create a pathway for individuals to become licensed educators to fill workforce needs in Memphis-area schools.
Through the partnership Lipscomb, which has a nationally recognized teacher preparation program, will be an educator preparation provider (EPP) for MTR, a faith-based, nonprofit organization that is consistently ranked as one of the most effective teacher prep programs in Tennessee. MTR recruits and trains effective teachers in a faith-based context, aligning with Lipscomb’s Christ-centered mission. Residents in the program are college graduates invited to train with a mentor teacher and receive coaching culminating with a master’s degree and teacher certification.
This partnership helps close the gap in the growing challenge of teacher shortages that have affected Tennessee schools, particularly in urban districts across the state. According to a study released by SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education) last year, many school districts across Tennessee experienced high vacancy rates and are struggling to attract and retain effective educators. A report released by the Tennessee Department of Education in the fall indicated a total of 7,441 positions across the state either vacant or filled by a teacher on an emergency credential for the 2023-2024 school year. This partnership between MTR and Lipscomb’s nationally recognized teacher preparation program is part of a broader university commitment to meet workforce needs locally, in Tennessee and across the country.
“Access to highly effective educators is critical to ensuring student success, yet far too many students in Tennessee don’t have access to quality teachers because of the shortage of educators in the classroom,” said Lipscomb President Candice McQueen. “Our partnership with Memphis Teacher Residency is a crucial step in addressing this gap, to provide accessible pathways to help fill classrooms with passionate, well-trained educators as an investment in the long-term success of the young people in the Memphis area and across Tennessee.”
Through this partnership, which will begin this fall pending approval by the Tennessee Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), students will take Master of Arts in Teaching courses and seek licensure through Lipscomb’s College of Education. Residents will receive coursework onsite in Memphis and will receive all of the benefits offered through MTR, such as 100% tuition coverage, while also being officially enrolled as Lipscomb students, receiving all of the services typically provided by the College of Education. Upon graduating from the residency year, graduates commit to teach in Memphis's under-resourced schools for three additional years while continuing to receive MTR coaching and support.
“At Memphis Teacher Residency, we are deeply committed to equipping teachers with the skills, knowledge, and faith-driven community needed to make an impact in classrooms and communities,” said Megan Salemi, MTR Director of Education. “The partnership with Lipscomb University bolsters MTR’s ability to train and equip teachers successfully for classrooms and deepen our literacy-specific work in Memphis-area schools. We are thrilled to work with a mission-aligned institution to expand opportunities for individuals who feel called to serve in education, particularly in Memphis communities.”
“We are pleased to have this opportunity to serve the Memphis community. MTR has made a tremendous impact in the Memphis area over the last 15 years and is an ideal partner for Lipscomb in this work with our shared commitment to preparing teachers who are both highly effective and driven by a mission to serve their communities,” said Leslie Cowell, dean of Lipscomb’s College of Education. “This partnership provides a unique opportunity to combine MTR’s mentorship model with Lipscomb’s nationally recognized teacher preparation program and we are excited to see the impact this initiative will have on the Memphis community.”
This is the third partnership Lipscomb’s College of Education has announced in the last few weeks. In January, Lipscomb University and Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) announced a partnership to expand opportunities for individuals to pursue a teaching career through innovative pathways to licensure. Earlier this month, Lipscomb announced the launch of Foundations to Futures, a dual-impact teacher apprenticeship program to address workforce needs in early childhood education while providing a pathway for aspiring teachers seeking to earn a fully funded bachelor’s degree in P-3 early education. The program is a collaboration among the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), the U.S. Department of Labor and the Joe C. Davis Foundation that removes financial barriers and creates a unique opportunity for students to graduate debt-free and with experience in the classroom.
About Lipscomb University’s College of Education
Lipscomb University’s College of Education is consistently ranked as one of the most effective educator preparation programs in Tennessee and the nation. For 13 consecutive years, Tennessee Teacher Preparation Report Card data on the effectiveness of new Tennessee teachers indicates Lipscomb has one of the most effective teacher preparation programs in the state. In 2023 Lipscomb received a $4.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to train mental health professionals in high-need local education agencies (LEAs) in the Nashville area through its IMPACT (Innovative Mental Health Partnership Accessing Counselor Training) Initiative. In June 2023, it was named among the top in the nation by the National Council on Teacher Quality for preparing future teachers in the science of reading. Lipscomb has also developed a number of Grow Your Own partnerships in high-need disciplines and districts across Tennessee. For more information, visit www.lipscomb.edu/education.
About Memphis Teacher Residency
Founded in 2009, Memphis Teacher Residency (MTR) has recruited, trained and coached over 700 teachers to be highly effective within their classrooms in our Memphis partner neighborhoods. As teachers and staffers across the city work toward our mission, Christian love expressed in equal education, there has been considerable success seen both with our resident teachers, as well as overall teacher effectiveness of our graduates. As recognized in the 2024 TN Teacher Prep Report Card, MTR has been the top scoring program in five of the last six years, as measured by points earned. While 90% of MTR graduates complete their three-year commitment, less than 60% of district hires stay for a full three years. Teacher retention concerns are a part of the teacher shortage, and principals who hire MTR graduates are significantly less likely to need to rehire that same position over the next several years. Since 2009, MTR has also launched both STEM and Literacy Summer Camps to address needs in the communities we serve, as well as the Memphis Literacy Institute to train active teachers and support schools toward literacy excellence. To learn more about MTR's programs, please visit www.memphistr.org.
— Photo: Kristi Jones