What's Next?
What happens once I submit my application?
If I’ve been invited to an interview, what should I expect?
How will I know what my next steps are?
What if I interviewed last year?
What documentation will I need?
How do I secure a school-level position and placement interviews?
What are the actual employment or hiring steps?
What happens once I submit my application?
Once you complete and submit your online application, you will receive an email that confirms receipt and provides the file number for your application.
After your completed application has been received, your application will be screened to make sure that you meet MCS’s eligibility requirements. You will receive e-mail notification with your application status within 1-2 weeks of submission. This process may take slightly longer for former MCS employees or during peak processing times. Information in this e-mail will outline next steps, which may include:
- An invitation to submit the required documentation and be moved into the new teacher pool
- An invitation to schedule an initial HR interview and, if successful, submit materials to join the new teacher pool
- Information about other options available to you should you wish to pursue employment with MCS
If I’ve been invited to an interview, what should I expect?
In order to be invited to join the New Teacher Pool, you must successfully complete your initial interview. Applicants who do not successfully complete this interview will not be considered for teaching positions in MCS.
Applicant Initial Interview
The initial interview lasts approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours and consists of three parts.
- First, you will attend a 30-minute general information session about Memphis City Schools and the applicant process.
- You will have 25 minutes to respond to a writing prompt and respond to a classroom scenario.
- Finally, you will have a one-on-one 30 minute personal interview where you will be asked to expand on your qualifications, experiences and teaching philosophy.
Applicants who do not successfully complete the initial interview will be notified that they are not eligible to join the new teacher pool and will be considered for hire for the upcoming school year. The MCS interview process is very rigorous and selective. There is no appeals process and all decisions are final.
Applicants that successfully complete the initial interview will be invited to submit the required documentation necessary to join the new teacher pool. Applicants will have three weeks from the time the invitation is extended in which to submit the required documentation. Once this documentation has been received and verified, selected applicants will be moved into the new teacher pool. Until the necessary documentation is received, you will not be moved into the pool and will not be considered by principals for school-level positions.
Admission into the new teacher pool is not a guarantee of employment. It does mean, however, that MCS will:
- invite you to large-scale teacher job fairs and placement interview days
- invite you to targeted, subject-specific job fairs and placement interview days
- refer you for specific school interviews for vacancies that you are eligible to fill
- make your information available to principals who recommend candidates for hire
How will I know what my next steps are?
Email will be the only method of communication regarding your application. Please make sure that addresses from Memphis City Schools do not go to your junk mail or spam folder. All MCS addresses will end with the domain name mcsk12.net or teachmemphis.org.
What if I interviewed last year?
If you successfully completed an initial interview last year, you must resubmit your application. If, after it is reviewed, you are eligible to join the new teacher pool, you will NOT need to complete an initial interview again to be moved into the pool.
Documentation
We do not require document submission when you submit your application and, to accurately track your materials, we ask that you do not submit materials until they are requested. However, we strongly suggest that you begin compiling copies of the following:
- official transcripts (both undergraduate and graduate, if applicable)
- teaching license or application for licensure (if applicable)
- PRAXIS score reports (if applicable)
Once your application has been screened, you will be able to view the list of your required documentation by logging into the applicant portal and clicking on the maroon "Documents Required" tab. If you are invited to join the new teacher pool, you will have three weeks of time in which to submit documentation, so please request copies now. You will not be considered by principals for school-level positions until we receive all of your required documentation.
If you have a teaching license from another state, we encourage you to apply to MCS. Please begin the application process for your Tennessee Out-of-State Teaching License as soon as possible by downloading an application from the Tennessee Department of Education. You can find the application online at:
http://state.tn.us/education/lic/out.shtml
How do I secure a school-level position and placement interviews?
Once admitted to the new teacher pool, principals will be able to view your resume and application. When a principal has a vacancy at his or her school, the principal or member of Human Resources will contact qualified candidates that may be a good fit for the position. Candidates will be asked to attend an interview either at the school site or via phone. This interview is generally conducted by the principal who will assess the fit between the candidate and an open position at the school. It is likely that candidates will interview for positions with different schools during this phase. New Teacher Pool members may also be invited to attend job fairs throughout the hiring season.
Please note that placement interviews do not guarantee that a candidate will be hired.
Once admitted to the new teacher pool, there are several things you can do to increase your chances of finding a position:
- Contact principals at schools in which you are particularly interested in teaching. Expressing your interest in our schools is an excellent way to establish relationships with administrators. Remember: if a principal does not have an opening for you at their school right now that does not mean that one will not be available in the coming weeks. A list of schools, contact information, principal names and schools profiles can be found at:
http://www.mcsk12.net/admin/communications/directoryofschools.html
- Do your homework! Find out about the types of programs offered at our schools and what makes each school unique.
- Explore resources on lesson-planning, classroom management and other educational topics to be prepared for interviews for specific vacancies and the start of school.
- Prepare a portfolio to bring to interviews. If you have teaching experience, principals may want to see sample lesson plans, student work, evidence of professional development, recommendation letters, etc. While some principals may not request a portfolio, it’s a good tool to have on hand.
- If you are not currently licensed, start researching the local Teacher Education Program (TEP), as you will be required to enroll within your first year of teaching.
What are the actual employment or hiring steps?
Once interviewed, a principal will recommend a candidate for a specific position at their school. This recommendation initiates the final stage of the hiring process in which the Human Resources staffing team reviews each candidate and his or her qualifications and extends an official employment offer. Please note that a principal recommendation is not an official offer for
hire— the official offer will be made by Human Resources.
If a candidate is offered a position but decides that it is not the best fit, he or she will remain in the new teacher pool and can continue to be considered for other positions. All new employees are required to successfully pass a background check and fingerprint clearance prior to the start of employment.
