If I am moving from out of state, where is there an affordable place to live in Detroit?

  • Housing costs range from $750.00 - $2,500.00 per month depending on whether you choose to rent or purchase a home and also depending on the location in which you decide to live. While there are many neighborhoods to consider living in in Detroit, such as Midtown, Corktown, Boston-Edison, etc. we believe there is an area that will meet your needs. In order to help make the housing search process easier, we have created a housing guide with different resources including information regarding rentals and home purchases, for you to browse through. 

What is considered a “reasonable salary” in Detroit? Is teacher pay competitive within the Detroit landscape?

  • We recognize that we often receive this question from educators that live in various parts of our country and cost of living across states varies. We have created a salary guide with “big city” comparisons across the country. This guide will help you determine what your salary could look like to sustain your current cost of living depending on where you are transitioning from. 

  • Rightfully so, teacher pay has increased over the last couple years for educators, especially here in Detroit. More directly, DPSCD which is the large public school district that exists here in Detroit just increased their starting salary to $50,000. There are other charter school districts in the city that are comparable to this as well. Teaching salaries can range from $48,000 - $75,000 and decisions made around salary are circumstantial (including but not limited to years of experience, level of education received, portfolio performance, etc). While we do not have specific answers regarding the competitiveness between schools here are some resources to complete some research on your own. 

As a fellow coming from out of state, how can I connect with affinity groups in Detroit?

  • Teach For America - Detroit has affinity groups directly connected with our organization. Our affinity groups are groups that engage in advocacy and create spaces for individuals to come together, network and collaborate. You can find more information on our affinity groups by clicking the links below:

What fun things are there to do in Detroit?

  • There are SO many fun things to do in Detroit- known for our music, auto-industry and of course food. Activities will vary depending on Michigan’s fun weather. A helpful page to bookmark is Visit Detroit. 

If I don’t hold a Michigan teaching or administrative certification am I still able to apply to any of the fellowships?

Yes, you can still apply! You must hold a current teaching certificate in your current state (i.e. if you live in Florida and are interested in transitioning to Detroit, then in order to apply you must at least carry a Florida state teaching certificate). If admitted into one of our fellowships, you will need to eventually carry a Michigan teaching certificate. We do have an out-of-state certification transfer process that can be accessed here and you can also access the Michigan Online Educator Certification System that can provide additional details as well. We do cover all costs to transfer your certification from your current state to Michigan. Directions on how we cover those costs are listed in the out-of-state transfer one-pager as well.