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Frequently Asked Questions

To become an IGNITE DeKalb Resident Teacher, interested applicants will need to:

  • Have or expect to hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than education from an accredited college or university prior to the start of the program 
  • Have at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale 
  • A passion for teaching in an urban school district 

No, you don’t need to have a degree in education to apply for an IGNITE DeKalb Teacher Resident position. In fact, we are looking for aspiring teachers who have no previous teaching experience. You do need to have earned a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and have had at least a 2.5 GPA.

IGNITE DeKalb is designed for aspiring teachers who don’t have any previous teaching experience. If you already have a teaching license, we recommend you look at our job postings for current open teaching positions.

No, there is no age requirement to become an IGNITE DeKalb Teacher Resident. We believe aspiring teachers can be adults of any age. 

No, you don’t have to live in DeKalb County to become a resident. IGNITE DeKalb does not require you to be a resident of DeKalb County to be accepted into the residency. Nor does the District have any requirements for employees to live in DeKalb County.

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The design of a residency program is to train teachers who will then work in a District classroom as employees. Our IGNITE DeKalb residents must be eligible to work in the United States and be in a position to make at least a 5-year commitment to teach in a Horizon School after their residency is complete.

Great question! We have outlined the application process via our application page .

For more information about the IGNITE DeKalb Teacher Residency Program and dates, times and registration details for upcoming informational sessions please watch this page or email our team at ignitedtr@dekalbschoolsga.org