Please complete our interest form under the “Contact Us” button at the bottom of this page to connect with our staff!

Education students enrolled in a participating Montana college/university are eligible to apply, Application does not guarantee participation.  

Resident Teachers spend an entire academic school year embedded in a classroom, working closely with a Teacher Leader while gradually assuming teaching responsibilities and receiving ongoing support while receiving multiple, guaranteed monetary benefits. Resident Teacher and Teacher Leaders will also be given opportunities to participate in Learning Labs (professional development) sponsored by the MTRP. 

A Resident Teacher is a higher education (college) student, enrolled in a participating educator preparation program, who is seeking initial licensure and completes coursework and their final clinical practice, while working alongside an experienced Teacher Leader in a partner school district for an entire school year.

Teacher Leaders provide instructional guidance, coaching, modeling, and feedback to Resident Teachers throughout the  Residency Year. They are expected to allow the Resident Teacher to gradually assume duties of the classroom and provide reflection opportunities to help the Resident Teacher grow. 

The MTRP partners with numerous school districts across Montana. Any school district in Montana can participate in the Montana Teacher Residency Program, as long as they agree to fulfilling the obligations of the Program

Placements in the MTRP are student-based, meaning that Resident Teachers will be placed in their preferred areas within the state of Montana. Any school district can participate, but not all do and participants change each year. Please contact the MTRP team for further placement details.  

Please contact the MTRP staff.

Yes, Resident Teachers will need to complete the FAFSA for the academic year in which they participate

Residents receive ten $1400, pre-tax, payments during the school year, about once a month. The exact payment schedule is determined by the host district.

The tuition grant covers up to $4000 in tuition costs, after grants and scholarships have been applied. Residents are responsible for all other associated course and college fees.

Yes, taxes and state and federal deductions will be applied to each payment.

The tuition grant covers up to $4,000 in tuition costs, after other grants and scholarships have been applied. Resident Teachers are responsible for all other associated course and college fees.

To participate in the MTRP, districts must commit to providing housing assistance for the Resident Teachers; however the amount and type of assistance varies. For example, some Resident Teachers already have housing and receive utility support, while other districts pay for fuel for Resident Teachers that have housing but must travel. Others may provide housing that the district already owns. The goal is to have our Resident Teachers incur minimal housing costs during the residency year.

The Residency Year is a full-academic school year following the schedule of the host school district.

When the Teacher Leader is working, the Resident Teacher is working. The Resident Teacher and Teacher Leader will function as a co-teaching team and follow the schedule established for the classroom/Teacher Leader. In this program, the Residency Teacher will follow an 80%/20% time model, setting aside 20% of each school week to complete their own coursework demands outside of the classroom.

The Resident Teacher will be required to pay back all of the awarded tuition grant, unless there are extenuating circumstances approved by the advisory team at the MTRP.

A Resident Teacher can substitute only in their Teacher Leader’s class for up to 5 days a semester, no more than 10 days a year. The Resident Teacher does not receive payment for substituting.

Residency needs to be the primary focus. Working outside of the Residency is not recommended.

Interested educators should meet with their district administration to gauge interest in participation; the district must agree to partner with the MTRP to host Resident Teachers. Teacher Leaders must be tenured in the district, or have five years of teaching experience, and be the teacher of record in a classroom which matches the Resident Teacher’s licensure/degree subject.  

Yes, an administrator could serve as the Teacher Leader in districts with an administrator that is also in a teaching role

Teacher Leaders will be expected to participate in the Summer Orientation, an in-person training prior to the beginning of the school year, and will receive opportunities to participate in Learning Labs (MTRP sponsored professional development opportunities). The MTRP staff is readily available to help with any issues that arise. 

Yes. They receive a stipend of up to $6000, pre-taxed, for the work they do. If a Resident Teacher is in a split placement, the stipend will be split between the Teacher Leaders.

Yes, taxes and state and federal deductions will be applied to each payment. Teacher Leaders will also have TRS deductions taken out of their stipend.

Teacher Leaders will be paid up to $3000, pre-taxed, by the first of December and June

Lodging and meals during the academy are paid for by the MTRP. Mileage not included.

A Resident Teacher can substitute only in their Teacher Leader’s class for up to 5 days a semester. The Resident does not receive payment for substituting.

Participation helps districts:

*Recruit future teachers

*Build local educator pipeline

*Address teacher shortages

*Improve retention of professional staff

*Have stronger contacts with Educator Preparation Programs (universities and colleges)

Participating school districts will help identify Teacher Leaders for Resident Teacher placement, collaborate with MTRP, disburse the Resident Teacher and Teacher Leader stipends (funding provided by the MTRP), and provide housing assistance to Resident Teachers. School districts get to decide what type and how much housing assistance to provide to the Resident. Housing assistance can be provided as a set monthly stipend, mileage reimbursement following the state rate, or livable housing at a no- or low-rate cost.   

Yes. When you complete the District Participation Form showing your interest and commitment to the program, you can select what subjects your district is interested in hosting a Resident.

ABSOLUTELY! Rural school districts are a critical component of MTRP’s work, as we strive to bring high-quality educators into those communities.n

Yes. The Resident Program is based on need and placement with the priority to rural Montana and significantly impacted districts

Yes, an administrator could serve as the Teacher Leader in districts with an administrator that is also in a teaching role

Participation helps districts:

*Build local educator pipeline

*Improve retention of professional staff

*Recruit future teachers

*Address teacher shortages

*Have stronger contacts with Educator Preparation Programs (universities and colleges)

Typically, they identify Teacher Leaders, support Resident Teacher placement, collaborate with MTRP, and provide housing support for Resident Teachers. Districts also distribute the monthly stipends to Resident Teachers through their payroll departments.

ABSOLUTELY! Rural school districts are a critical component of MTRP’s work, as we strive to bring high-quality educators into those communities!