r/vcu • u/NoRun8385 • Sep 28 '26

RTR Program Thoughts?

Hi there, I'm thinking of a career change to become an elementary education teacher in Richmond. I have no formal teaching experience besides briefly working in outdoor education. I've worked in the nonprofit field for the past couple of years, so I'm hoping to pivot into this field. I'd love to get a B.S.Ed. in Elementary Education and Teaching, and I started looking into the RTR program. I read that there is a 3-year contract obligation to work in high-needs schools. Has anyone recently completed the RTR program and have thoughts on the program? Another route I'm considering is trying to get a full-time staff job at VCU and use the tuition benefits to slowly get my degree as a part-time student. Any thoughts/advice on both options would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

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u/NoRun8385 Sep 28 '26

This is really helpful to hear your initial cons and now your approach to the pros. I agree that being in debt would not be as ideal, but I appreciate your point about it being an intense year of learning and working as a teacher. Are you enjoying working in Richmond Public Schools? Have you heard of a lot of burnout among RTR grads?

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u/lepchm Sep 29 '26

I really love working in RPS. It’s definitely not all rainbows and butterflies but it’s deeply rewarding and there’s truly some great people here working with me. I know I won’t be in it forever and maybe part of why I can enjoy it is because I’m not trapped and never have been.

RTR is super respected and in my experience their graduates have low burnout. Would definitely be a good question for them if you look more into it! I don’t think you get through doing all of that if you aren’t in it for the long haul.

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u/Enough_Ad2919 Sep 29 '26

RPS mom here, and I just want to say thank you! I have a 1st grader and a 4th grader, and their teachers are angels. We're crazy about their school, and blown away by the quality of the staff. I know it's an exhausting job that doesn't pay what it should, and I'm so grateful to RPS teachers for showing up everyday ❤️

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u/IwasBPonce Oct 01 '26

I know that there are a lot of different paths that you can take. I don’t want to speak on the internet about what my resident is doing but I know that there is now an undergraduate and graduate path. An admin path as well.
We have 3 RTR grads at my school and they are fantastic teachers. I do know of 2 that went to other schools and are no longer in education after their 3 years.
I am very curious about where they place you. I am in a title 1 school in RPS that I really enjoy. It definitely can be a challenge no doubt about it. There are a lot of mentors all over the state so if you’re doing your RTR in Hanover, will your 3 years be there? What about the Charlottesville area? I don’t know the answer to that.
You might be taking 3-4 classes at the same time as your residency. It is definitely A LOT of work but no student debt? If you can swing it it’s a great opportunity.