San Diego Teacher Residency
Earn your Masters Degree in Teaching & Learning (M.Ed.) & Preliminary Teaching Credential
Teach to Transform
Considering a purpose-driven career teaching in California K-12 schools? The San Diego Teacher Residency prepares aspiring teachers to educate for justice and deeper learning. We believe that all children deserve a space where they can bring their full selves and develop as curious, critical, and creative human beings. Public school classrooms have enormous potential to become such spaces — and SDTR is part of the movement to make that transformation happen, one new teacher at a time.
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What sets us apart
900+ HOURS
Teaching residents gain 900+ hours of classroom experience in one of the 16 High Tech High schools during the first year — more than 1.5x the average program.
60%
Nearly 60% of teaching residents identify as people of color — 3x the national average for teachers. 90% of alumni are employed as teachers.
$35,000
Up to $35,000 available in living stipends for first year students
About the Program
Earn a California Preliminary Teaching Credential and Master’s Degree in Teaching & Learning in a 2 year program.
Year 1: High Tech High Mentorship, Individualized Coaching, California Preliminary Teaching Credential
SDTR residents take courses with their cohort, and spend four days a week as student teachers at one of High Tech High’s 16 K-12 schools. This mentorship allows them to work closely with a veteran HTH teacher while gaining experience in the classroom. Residents also meet one day and one evening a week at High Tech High GSE for course work, peer collaboration and intensive support from our expert teaching faculty. SDTR provides individualized coaching from a personalized supervisor to support career growth as new teachers. Residents earn their California Preliminary Teaching Credential at the end of Year 1, and are supported in applying for teaching positions at our growing network of partner schools around the region.
Year 2: Employment, Capstone, M.Ed in Teaching In Learning
The second year of SDTR serves as a critical support to candidates as they move into their teaching career and seek to connect and sustain the learning provided during the residency year. While working as fully-employed teachers, residents return to the GSE one evening per week to complete their M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning. In their masters’ capstone classes, they build on both the learning and the relationships that they formed during their first year and explore problem-solving of practice that emerge in their classrooms. They also will receive continued support from a personalized mentor. Throughout our San Diego teacher credential program, SDTR residents will learn to teach in ways which are student-centered and inclusive, centered in authentic projects, and are grounded in anti-racist/anti-bias pedagogy.
Launch Date
Duration
Format
Engage with GSE Admissions
1 on 1 Call
Meet with our Admissions Manager to discuss more program details, learn how you can prepare your application and ask any questions specific to your personal journey
Info Session
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We are now accepting applications for our Fall 2025 cohort. Please take a moment to review our application guide for more information about our Admissions process, and submit your materials by our priority deadline on December 1.
All SDTR applicants will submit the following materials to be considered for admission to the program:
- Professional Resume
- Statement of Purpose
- Self-Recorded Video Interview
- Letter of Recommendation
- Official Undergraduate Transcript
- Proof of Subject Matter Competency
Candidates who move forward in our application process will be invited to a virtual Bonanza, where you will conduct an interactive learning activity with our faculty and other applicants. Stay tuned for our detailed admissions guide coming soon!
- Program Tuition is $25,000
- Year One Tuition: $15,000
- Year Two Tuition: $10,000
Available Aid
Living Stipends: All San Diego Teacher Residency students are guaranteed a living stipend of $8,000 total for year one of the program.
With a new grant to support the diversity of teachers in our own network of HTH K-12 schools, SDTR candidates may apply for up to $35,000 in living stipend funding with payments disbursed monthly for the residency year.
Candidates will be prioritized in the hiring process, and must be willing to commit to teaching within the HTH K-12 network (or another California school ) for 4+ years.
Candidates who would like to be considered for this grant must submit an additional response during the application process, and approximately 30 residents will be awarded this stipend.
Review our residency year funding pathways here:
Federal Student Aid: SDTR students are eligible to apply for federal financial aid. Aid consists primarily of William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (Unsubsidized), Federal Graduate PLUS Loans, and Federal Work Study. Degree-seeking graduate students are eligible for federal financial aid if they:
- are enrolled in 4.5 or more units per term,
- meet the HTH GSE’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy,
- are in good standing with prior federal loans,
- are citizens of the United States (or eligible non-citizens)
Please review the Financial Aid FAQ’s for more information. To apply for aid, follow Steps to Apply for Financial Aid.
If applying as an international student, the HTH GSE is approved to offer F-1 visas and students may be eligible for a reduced tuition rate. You can find more information about studying in the U.S. and applying for the F-1 visa here.
Other helpful resources:
This program is designed to prepare California K-12 public school teachers. The requirements listed below are in compliance with the state education code and are in alignment with HTH GSE’s commitment to preparing high quality educators. In order to matriculate into the program, candidates will need to fulfill several prerequisites, including:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Earned BA/BS from a regionally accredited university with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 are encouraged to include an explanation of their academic qualifications within the initial application form.
Candidates must hold a conferred undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution to begin our program. Candidates who are in their senior year of college may also apply.
If you are admitted, SDTR will require proof of passage for all required CSET Subtests by May 1, 2025.
Candidates must provide evidence of having:
- Passed the California Subjects Examination for Teachers (CSET)
- Successfully completed a Commission-approved Subject Matter Preparation Program
- Successfully completed coursework at one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education that addresses each of the domains of the subject matter requirement
- Successfully completed a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with the following as applicable:
- For Single Subject credentials, a major aligned to the credential sought
- For Multiple Subjects credentials, a liberal studies, liberal arts, interdisciplinary studies, or elementary education major
*please review our CSET FAQ flyer for additional information and resources
- Fingerprint Clearance
Candidates must hold a valid CTC issued Certificate of Clearance or Substitute Teaching Permit
- Proof of Negative Tuberculosis
SDTR residents complete a 30-unit degree program that includes course-taking, clinical fieldwork, and the submission of a capstone Master’s Project featuring three cycles of lesson study. This is a cohort-based program by design. A sampling of coursework is as follows: Equity I: Self Schools, and Society; Foundations of Classroom Culture; Foundations of Student-Centered Teaching; Foundations of English Language Development; Inclusive Classrooms; Instruction and Assessment in the Disciplines; Foundations of Reading Instruction; Equity II: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy; Equity III: Critical Pedagogy; Design for Deeper Learning; and Inquiry into Practice.
SDTR is a participant in EdPrepLab, co-sponsored by Bank Street College and the Learning Policy Institute.
Our Team
Michelle Jaconette
Rhea Manguil
Amanda Borow
Mike Strong
Charity De La Rosa
Janie Griswold
Matt Sheelen
Jenny Bourassa
Rosemarie Biocarles-Rydeen
Carol Battle
Sarah Strong
Brittney Quinones
Alec Patton
Anna Champion
Michelle Pledger
Curtis Taylor
Sarah Barnes
Stacey Lopaz
Address
Office of Admissions
High Tech High
Graduate School of Education
2150 Cushing Road
San Diego CA 92106
Contact
Contact us if you have questions about any of our programs.
(619) 398-4902