The mentorship program, a significant highlight of the meeting, is tailored to assist early-career and developing teachers, offering foundational guidance through various forms of support—physical, emotional, instructional, and institutional. The initiative is set to engage experienced teachers as mentors, fostering a culture of continuous professional growth across the teaching continuum. A detailed presentation outlined the program’s components, goals, and evaluation methods. The mission is to ensure the success of educators new to the district by assigning each a mentor for their first year, irrespective of their tiered license level.

A key feature of the program is the structured onboarding process. New teachers are ushered into the district with a welcome address from the district’s leadership and a bus tour introducing them to various district buildings and local amenities. The onboarding schedule is designed to provide ample time for teachers to acclimate to their new environments, with a focus on familiarization and support.

Monthly checklists, aligned with the school calendar, are an important part of the mentorship program. These checklists are aligned with timely topics such as parent-teacher conferences and assessments, offering relevant guidance as new teachers navigate their responsibilities.

The program’s professional development component emphasizes consistency across different school levels, addressing improvements suggested by last year’s feedback. This consistency in training duration and content aims to prepare new teachers effectively for their roles.

The meeting also delved into the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders involved in the mentorship program—mentors, mentees, administrators, and mentor facilitators. The recruitment process for mentors has evolved to include new strategies such as staff surveys to diversify the pool of mentors, moving beyond the traditional practice of principal recommendations. This year, only three of the fifteen new staff members are repeat mentors.

Mentor compensation was discussed, with a tiered stipend system reflecting the level of support required. Mentors working with teachers in tiers one or two receive higher stipends compared to those mentoring tier three or four teachers, acknowledging the varying support levels needed by different new teachers. The structured mentorship responsibilities clearly illustrate that the intensity of support will decrease as the mentee’s experience increases.

A discussion point was the mentorship program’s relationship with teacher evaluations. While there is collaboration for coaching purposes, the evaluation process remains separate, with principals solely responsible for evaluations. Teachers from other districts with continuing contract status will be evaluated by their principal within one year, while those without such status face a three-year evaluation period. Concerns were raised about the lack of mentorship support in the second and third years, as new teachers transition from the mentorship program and receive evaluations from their principals, similar to other teachers in the building. This has sparked discussions on extending the mentorship program beyond the first year, with both coaches and building administrators expressing concerns about the support gap for newer teachers.

The board also addressed the support for paraprofessionals, recognizing their significant role and the high turnover in these positions. Shadowing a veteran paraprofessional is part of the onboarding process, supplemented by professional learning opportunities aligned with their roles.

Personal anecdotes highlighted the importance of structured mentorship, with one member reflecting on their early career challenges due to the absence of such support. Efforts to pair mentors with mentees in the same grade level or department aim to enhance relational compatibility and provide effective guidance.

The structured mentorship program aims to create a supportive environment to minimize attrition rates. There was a brief mention of an upcoming session scheduled for August 18, emphasizing the district’s continued focus on mentorship and support for new teachers.