MTR Job-EMBEDDED, LICENSURE-ONLY
Onboarding Guide
Lipscomb application due by 4/1.
All other onboarding items due by 4/18.
See printable Onboarding Checklist for all due dates.
If you are an accepted JELO applicant, have paid your deposit and signed your contract, congrats! You’re in the right place.
Onboarding is a critical step in beginning your path to initial teacher licensure while you continue working in your school. Please read and complete each part of the process outlined below. Meeting deadlines and demonstrating professionalism now sets the tone for the work ahead and reflects the level of communication, follow-through, and attention to detail expected in this program and in the teaching profession.
Download the printable checklist below for a quick snapshot with visible deadlines. This webpage has all the details you need to complete MTR Onboarding, but the checklist is good to keep somewhere you see daily as a reminder. Please work diligently to complete the steps ahead of the deadline.
You should have already received your E-Sign Packet via email. See below if you would like a description of items included in the packet.
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You should have received an E-Signature Packet of documents you will sign using your computer or smartphone / tablet. Below is an explanation of the documents you digitally signed.
VECHS FORM
This document is required by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of accessing and reviewing Tennessee and national criminal history that may pertain to you from the FBI.
JELO CONTRACT
Your contract is your agreement with MTR. We will go over the contract during the onboarding webinar, but please read through it before. After signing, a copy of the contract should have been emailed to you.
RELEASE OF INFORMATION AND CONSENT FORM
MTR is committed to tracking its effectiveness through the student growth and teacher evaluation data of program participants. All program participants are requested to give permission to any partner Memphis school district, partner charter school, or charter authorizer authorizing Memphis schools to release this data to MTR.
CONSENT TO FINGERPRINTING AND BACKGROUND CHECK
This allows MTR to conduct a background check with fingerprinting. Please note that the instructions for actually being fingerprinted are given below and you need to follow those carefully. This background check also includes a search of the national sex offender database. You still need to follow the fingerprinting directions (below) after signing this consent. All Job-Embedded, Licensure-Only Candidates must complete this process through MTR, even if you have completed a screening for another organization.
NONCRIMINAL JUSTICE APPLICANT’S PRIVACY RIGHTS
This document explains your privacy rights as they pertain to a national fingerprint-based criminal history record check.
PHOTO AND MEDIA RELEASE
Signing this gives the Memphis Teacher Residency permission to use your name, image, and/or photograph and other identifying information for publicity, promotional, and reporting purposes.
Scroll through or use the buttons below to jump to a section.
1. Printable Checklist
Download the printable checklist below for a quick snapshot with visible deadlines. This webpage has all the details you need to complete MTR JELO Onboarding, but the checklist is good to keep somewhere you see daily as a reminder. Please work diligently to complete the steps ahead of the deadline. We encourage you to keep it somewhere you’ll see regularly and to review it as you work through the items on this page.
2. Onboarding Survey
This survey collects the contact and background information we need to finalize our roster, communicate with you, and prepare for Job-Embedded, Licensure-Only orientation. You’ll be asked for basic contact details, information about your current school and role, brief licensure and education background, and a headshot we can share with your cohort.
Please use a Gmail address and submit the survey as soon as possible so we can move forward with orientation planning and program setup.
3. Apply to Lipscomb
This Lipscomb JELO application is for those who are applying through the Memphis Teacher Residency Program in partnership with Lipscomb University's College of Education. Please note that the second page of instructions has details how how and where to send your official transcripts.
Read the application steps and follow them closely — there are many specifics and details that should not get overlooked!
If you have Lipscomb application questions, please contact Sean Impeartrice at sean.impeartrice@lipscomb.edu.
4. Fingerprinting & Background Check
We strongly encourage you to get your fingerprinting done in Memphis city limits. If you live outside of Memphis, please do your best to find a Memphis fingerprinting location. If you cannot make it to Memphis, please email Gabbie (gabbie@memphistr.org) for instructions.
You will have to undergo a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Background Check for MTR, even if you’ve recently been fingerprinted for another purpose. This is necessary for all persons seeking to work in a school setting. Failure to pass the background check will prohibit you from enrolling in MTR’s JELO Program. If you anticipate any difficulties with your background check, please contact Gabbie (gabbie@memphistr.org) to explain your situation.
You will find a Consent to Fingerprinting and Background Check Form in your e-sign packet, and you must sign and submit that form before continuing with the fingerprinting directions below based on whether you currently live in Tennessee or live in another state.
All fingerprinting appointments should be scheduled and completed by the deadline on the Printable Checklist. Background checks can be delayed, so it is important that you get your appointment early in order to ensure you are cleared and ready to participate. You will not be allowed to participate in the Job-Embedded, Licensure-Only Program until your background check results are received by MTR.
MTR should receive the results of your background check 5 – 7 business days after you have visited the TBI service location / had your mailed fingerprint card processed.
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• Follow this link to schedule your ten-minute appointment for fingerprinting at an in-state location. You can also revisit this link later to change your appointment if necessary.
• Click the green button to “Schedule a New Appointment.”
• Enter TNCC79140 for ORI number. It will tell you that this ORI corresponds with Memphis Teacher Residency.
• Enter zip code for a fingerprinting location near you, and select a location and appointment time.
• Enter personal information. At the bottom you will want to provide employer information: Memphis Teacher Residency, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 366, Memphis, TN 38104 as your employer.
• Verify all information is correct and submit.
• Make payment with Visa or Mastercard OR take money order or cashier’s check with you to fingerprinting location.
Bring the following to your appointment:
- Valid Government ID: Driver's license, state ID, or passport
- Money or cashier's check if you did not pay for fingerprinting services during scheduling -
Strongly discouraged — this makes your process more difficult.
If you cannot make it to Memphis to schedule a fingerprinting appointment, please email Gabbie (gabbie@memphistr.org) for instructions.
5. More to Know
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Please mark your calendar for the following dates that you will need to be on-site and in-person at MTR’s offices (1350 Concourse Ave, Suite 366). Be on the lookout for an email to join MTR’s JELO Google Calendar. We will share all events and required dates there.
ORIENTATION
May 29, 2026 | 9:00am-4:00pmSUMMER COURSES & PRAXIS PREP
June 1-July 17, 2026
Mondays-Wednesdays | 9:00am-12:00pmPRAXIS EXAMS
July 20-27, 2026FALL COURSES
August 17-December 10, 2026
Mondays & Thursdays | 5:00pm-8:30pmSPRING COURSES
January 6-April 29, 2027
Mondays & Thursdays | 5:00-8:30K-5 COHORT ONLY: Register and pay for the Teaching Reading Praxis exam to be taken in May 2027.
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Vaccination and staying up to date with boosters offers protection for us as individuals as well as offering protection to students, school communities, and the collective MTR community. MTR strongly encourages vaccination for COVID-19, but you are not required to be vaccinated. We are currently precluded from requiring vaccination by the state of TN. However, if or when that ruling is retracted, MTR JELO Candidates will, at that time, be required to be vaccinated and up to date.
Fully vaccinated means a person has received their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines. Up to date means a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible.
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Where to Go With Questions
gENERAL QUESTIONS
Margie Christie
Job-Embedded, Licensure-Only Administrator
margie@memphistr.org
background check & fingerprinting
Gabbie Elliott
Office Manager
gabbie@memphistr.org
Praxis
Chelsea Rachiele
Praxis Advisor
chelsea.rachiele@memphistr.org
SOCIAL MEDIA
Annie Hunt
Marketing & Communications Manager
annie@memphistr.org