The Longmeadow Public Schools have been fortunate in retaining its faculty for many years. Turnover has been relatively low, and the few new teachers who are hired each year are quickly supported in an informal manner. As teachers come into the district they need support to successfully integrate into the district and the community. The significant increase in new faculty members requires a systemic and formal approach to professional development, support and retention of these new teachers.
Research indicates that beginning teachers (teachers in their first of teaching), and new teachers (teachers new to a district), who participate in a mentoring program achieve a level of competence and comfort in their role in a single year the unsupported teachers don’t reach for three to four years. Research has also shown that thirty to forty percent of teachers simply dropped into a classroom without mentoring support leave within the first two years.
Teachers who participate in a mentor program have a much higher rate of retention. Nearly seventy five percent of the faculty who have a successful mentoring experience remain in their positions five years or more. This longevity is significant to student achievement. Beginning teachers are often focused on the nuts and bolts of daily survival, paperwork, student behavior, committees, and learning the curriculum. It’s often not until the third or fourth year that teachers are able to refine and extend their curriculum to best meet the needs of the individual students.
Longmeadow Public Schools is committed to supporting the success of all members of its community. As the number of new teachers continues to grow, it is imperative that we maintain the integrity and success of our learning environment. Establishing and maintaining a vibrant and ongoing mentoring process is a linchpin to the nurturing of our new faculty. As a result, the district, through the Mentor Program Development Committee, has developed a proposed pilot program in an effort to promote and ensure successful inclusion of teachers new to the Longmeadow Public Schools, subject to law and funding.