This article describes an effort to create a coherent teacher recruitment, preparation and induction program in a large urban school district, based in part on the medical residency model. The article argues for several core principles in the creation of such a program: a) the program serves the school district, b) the program is structured to blend theory and practice, c) the program emphasizes the selection, recruitment and support of the mentor teacher and treats the mentors as teacher educators, d) the program creates an aligned set of induction supports which extend for the first three years of the new teacher's career, e) the program treats student achievement as its ultimate outcome.