Frequently Asked Questions for Teachers

There are two stages to become a Newark Public Schools teacher:  entering the central Teach Newark Candidate Pool and completing a school-specific hiring process.

The basic steps of our application process are outlined below.

• Application submission: Candidates submit their applications through Teach Newark’s online application system. 
• Pre-screening:  The Teach Newark team reviews candidates’ applications, essays and resumes.  Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements and whose application materials reflect the qualities and skills that Newark Public Schools seeks in its teachers will be invited to conduct a phone interview.    
• Phone-screening:  The Teach Newark team invites candidates to participate in a phone interview, where candidates have the opportunity to learn more about Newark Public Schools and showcase their skills and experiences. 
• Teach Newark Candidate Pool: Candidates who have successfully completed the phone interview will be invited to join the Teach Newark Candidate Pool. More information on this pool can be found below.
• School- specific Interview:  Candidates whose certification areas, skills, and experiences align with the vacancy needs of a school will be invited by the school’s hiring team to participate in a school-specific interview. 

Stage 1: Entering the central Teach Newark Candidate Pool

Apply Online

• Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to increase your opportunities to find the right school fit for your skills, experiences and interests.
• All applications are reviewed for eligibility, based on the information you provide on your certification and prior work history, and quality, based on your responses to the essay questions and resume.
• In the application, you will be asked to provide basic background information, complete two short essays, and submit a resume.  Applications must be completed online.
• Each application will be reviewed within two weeks of submission. You will be notified of your application status at each stage of the process.
• If you meet the eligibility requirements and your application materials reflect the skills and experiences that Newark Public Schools seeks, you will be asked to complete a phone interview. 

Phone Interview

• Based on your online application and responses to the essay questions, you may be invited to complete a phone interview.
• Phone interviews are 20-30 minutes long and are an opportunity to showcase your instructional knowledge and experiences and learn more about Newark Public Schools.
• Upon successful completion of the phone interview, you may be invited to join the Teach Newark Candidate Pool.  More information on the Teach Newark Candidate Pool can be found below.  
• Candidates who enter the Teach Newark Candidate Pool are viewable by principals and school hiring teams.  School hiring teams review candidate profiles that align with the specific vacancy needs of their schools. 

Stage 2:  School-Specific Interview

• Once in the Teach Newark Candidate Pool, you may be contacted by Principals, school hiring team members, or Talent Office staff to schedule school-based interviews.
• Your application materials (resume, essay responses, application questions) will be viewable by principals and school hiring teams.  Hiring team members are looking for evidence of skills and characteristics that fit their schools’ unique needs.
• School-specific interviews are managed by school-based staff and are tailored to the requirements of the school and the role that is posted.  School-based interviews may vary from site to site and could include any of the following: individual interview, panel interview, sample teaching lesson, writing sample or data set review.

To apply, you will need to complete the online application, including two short essay questions.  You will also need to upload your resume and submit a copy of your certification(s) on Teach Newark’s online application system. Newark Public Schools will only consider applications that have been completed and submitted online. We do not accept paper applications. 

If you are applying for an instructional teacher position in grades Pre-K though 12, please complete the Teacher Application here.

If you are applying for a position as a Principal, please complete the Principal Application here.

For all non-instructional positions, please see information on available employment opportunities here.

If you are a current NPS full-time school-based instructional staff member who is interested in seeking a new position for the 2012-2013 school year, visit the Talent Match site to create an educator profile and search/apply for vacancies. Please note that this site is only available to current NPS full-time school-based instructional staff members.

If you experience any technical difficulties or have other questions about Talent Match or the school-based staffing process, contact talentmatch@nps.k12.nj.us or 973-634-8057.

Newark Public Schools is committed to ensuring that all of Newark’s students graduate from high school ready for college; it is our responsibility to build their academic, social and emotional skills necessary to navigate a path to be successful and productive adults. This is an ambitious goal, and to get there we need the most knowledgeable, talented and dedicated teachers we can find. 

We suggest reviewing our Framework for Effective Teaching, as these represent the critical competencies to be a successful Newark Public Schools teacher.  Throughout the hiring process, the Teach Newark Team specifically seeks evidence of the following competencies:

• Competency 1: Lesson Design & Focus
• Competency 2: Rigor & Inclusiveness
• Competency 3: Culture of Achievement
• Competency 4: Student Progress Toward Mastery

The ideal candidate will possess the skills and knowledge associated with each of these competencies.  Additionally, a successful candidate will be able to demonstrate these competencies in his/her professional practice.

You should receive an email notification shortly after submitting your application.  Once submitted, the Teach Newark team will begin its review of you application, resume, and essays.  Within two weeks of submitting your application, a member of the Teach Newark team will notify you if you will continue in the screening process, which may include a phone interview.

If you are invited to participate in a phone interview, a member of the Teach Newark team will email you to schedule a convenient time.  Phone interviews usually occur within a week of the invitation and last about 20 to 30 minutes. 

Within one week of your phone interview, a member of our Teach Newark team will notify you if you will be included in the Teach Newark Candidate Pool.

The need for teachers in various subject areas and grade levels can shift over the course of the hiring season.  As a result, Teach Newark cultivates a pool of candidates – the Teach Newark Candidate Pool – who possess the qualities and skills Newark Public Schools seeks in its teachers.  When a position becomes available for external hiring, principals and school hiring teams are able to choose from the exemplary candidates that the Teach Newark team has previously screened and invited to the Teach Newark Candidate Pool.

If you have any questions, please contact the Teach Newark Team at info@teachnewark.com. 

Becoming part of the Teach Newark Candidate Pool is the first step in becoming a teacher with Newark Public Schools.  Ultimately, school principals and hiring teams make the decision about which teachers are the best fit for their schools.  We work to build and cultivate a large pool of candidates so that principals have their pick of the best talent to raise student achievement in their schools.  There are typically more teachers in the pool than there are positions, so be sure to put your best foot forward when interviewing with schools. Additionally, we have the right to remove you from the pool if you do not meet professional expectations during the hiring process.

Typically, we have the greatest need for candidates that have special education, bilingual, secondary math, and/or secondary science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) area certifications.  However, vacancies that are available for external hiring can change over the course of the hiring season, so we encourage all highly qualified professionals to apply.  Newark Public Schools will release more specific vacancy information as it becomes available.

Newark Public Schools uses a central hiring process, and therefore does not allow candidates to apply directly to individual schools.  Instead, we seek to build and cultivate a strong pool of talent from which principals and school hiring teams can recruit candidates for specific vacancies at their schools.  If you have questions about this process, please contact the Teach Newark team at info@teachnewark.com.

Yes, you can still apply and enter the Teach Newark Candidate Pool, but you will only be able to apply for vacancies for which you have the required certification(s). If you obtain the necessary certification to be qualified for a current vacancy, contact us at info@teachnewark.com, and we can update your profile so you can search for those vacancies. 

In order to apply for a teaching position, you must be eligible and certified to teach in the state of New Jersey by August 1, 2013.  Also, all candidates should have taken the relevant Praxis exam no later than June 8, 2013. For a list of acceptable certificates, please consult the New Jersey Department of Education Licensure & Credentials list.

You must upload proof of your certification as part of your online application.  It is important that your certification, including type and subject, is accurately included in your application or you may be deemed ineligible.

The State of New Jersey requires all public school teachers to be certified in content area to which they are assigned to teach. Please apply for your teaching certificate directly through the New Jersey Department of Education.   You must be able to provide proof of certification by August 1, 2013.  Also, all candidates should have taken the Praxis exam no later than June, 8 2013.

We welcome out-of state applicants who have the equivalent of a Standard certificate and one year of teaching experience. However, you must apply for a New Jersey teaching certificate based on interstate reciprocity and receive the certificate by August 1, 2013.  Also, all candidates should have taken the relevant Praxis exam no later than June, 8 2013.. Please apply for your teaching certificate directly through the New Jersey Department of Education.

Please refer to the New Jersey Department of Education for specific requirements to be a HQT here. You must be HQT per New Jersey Department of Educator to teach in Newark Public Schools.

Effective September 1, 2011, in accordance with the New Jersey First Act (P.L. 2011, c.70) all employees of public school districts must reside in the State of New Jersey. All newly hired employees who do not reside in New Jersey will have one (1) year after the date employment begins to relocate residency to New Jersey. An employee who does not do so is subject to removal from office, position or employment.

Our new compensation system values experience and performance and makes Newark’s teachers among the highest paid in the country. The universal salary scale helps Newark Public School teachers earn more, earlier in their careers and over their lifetime.  It also includes transition bonuses and ensures that our most effective educators receive substantial rewards for excellence and service in our highest-need subjects and schools.  In addition, we created a retirement notification reward to encourage educators to provide early notice and a new sick leave bank so they will have the days if they need them.

More information on the new compensation structure can be found here. All teachers new to Newark Public Schools will enter under the universal salary scale.

Teachers are eligible for tenure after four years of employment if they have earned a rating of effective or highly effective during at least two of those four years.

Please refer to the TEACHNJ Act, which reformed the state’s tenure laws for more information.

NPS teachers will be evaluated on the Framework for Effective Teaching, which is aligned with the skills necessary to teach the Common Core State Standards.  We invite you to learn more about how Newark Public Schools developed and uses the Framework here.