Applications now open for MSU-Meridian’s Mississippi Teacher Residency Program

Contact: Lisa Sollie

MERIDIAN, Miss.—Applications for Mississippi State University-Meridian’s Mississippi Teacher Residency Program’s second cohort are now open, with the priority deadline set for March 15.

Thanks to a $2 million grant received by MSU-Meridian, 34 individuals from across the state embarked in June on the year-long teacher residency program designed to meet the demand for highly competent teachers in critical shortage school districts in Mississippi. Funded by a federal ESSER grant through the Mississippi Department of Education, the program covers full tuition, books and testing fees for each resident.

“MTR is for individuals with a completed bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university who want to be an elementary educator,” said MSU-Meridian’s MTR Director Kevin Entrekin. “We particularly encourage diverse applicants, including people of color, men and armed forces veterans.”

Residents accepted into the program are paired with partner school districts and placed in the classroom as either an assistant or lead teacher for a full year while they take graduate-level coursework to become a certified teacher. Each resident is also mentored by an accomplished teacher in their school, and they provide support and encouragement throughout the process. Once participants complete the program and a two-year teaching commitment in a critical-shortage district, residents have earned a five-year license to teach all subjects in K-6 and an endorsement to teach special education in K-12.

Partner school districts include Choctaw County School District, Kemper County School District, Lauderdale County School District, Louisville Municipal School District, Meridian Public School District, Noxubee School District, Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and Union Public School District. Entrekin said two more school districts could join the program soon.

MSU is one of five universities in the state to receive the MTR grant. Other universities include Delta State, Jackson State, Southern Mississippi and William Carey.

For more on MSU-Meridian’s Mississippi Teacher Residency program, visit https://www.meridian.msstate.edu/academics/education/residency. Interested applicants can visit https://mdek12.org/OTL/MTR to apply.