Describe your action plan and how each of your four chosen competencies will influence its design and implementation.

Marielle Walker and I have been collaborating on this project. We each created separate portfolios, though we may share similar artifacts as evidence.

Overarching Competencies: Reflective Practice and Communication

To launch a more formal mentorship program. From my research into it, it seems important to be deliberate in our planning and also have clear cut expectations for mentors. Having been a mentor in the district in 2017-2018, I think there needs to be more administrative oversight and involvement in the program to hold everyone accountable. Further,I think reciprocal observations and time to debrief is an important component of a mentorship program. However, it has to be very clear to the mentee that their mentor is not an administrator who is "evaluating" them. Rather, the role of the mentor is to provide constructive feedback and be a cognitive coach for the new teacher. They should be helping that person develop their professional and practical skills. What the mentee needs will depend on the individual and where they are in their career.

Diversity, Equity, and Cultural Competence: Explore and Challenge Inequity

This whole process has forced me to reflect on my own conduct as a professional teacher, the role of the association, and what a teacher leader really looks like. This process also has required some self-assessment in terms of the functioning of the district and how it serves all it’s employees. The employee handbook, for example, has a calendar in it for days you are expected to work, but it only applies to certified and not classified staff. I think the classified staff definitely feel more marginalized in their roles here in the district. That has really come out in my one on one conversations with staff in the hallways and after school. It also came through loud and clear that the district needs a basic orientation for all new employees (Artifact 8).

How will your leadership leverage the strengths and address the needs of diverse stakeholders to support the action plan, develop capacity, broaden decision-making, and learn collaboratively?

I am working to build relationships with all three administrators. I have a great relationship with my principal, who is very on board with developing a mentorship program. The elementary principal is a person who I have a very positive relationship with, and she is very open to dialogue and collaboration. The superintendent offered to provide money for mentor contracts if a well articulated plan is laid out (Artifact 9). My challenge now is to get everyone together to develop the said plan, as it needs input from those individuals. All three are in support of a new employee orientation. This will also require getting those individuals in the survey who said they would lead a session in orientation, to actually commit to doing so in August.

How will you use collaboration, questioning, data, and reflection during the implementation of your action plan?

Marielle and I shared our presentation on the needs assessment with our local association for input, which was great because the people in attendance who gave the most feedback did not participate in the survey (Artifact 8 and Artifact 10). We also shared it with our administrative team (Artifact 9). I think follow up surveys after the orientation as well as sharing draft ideas of a formal mentorship program will be important to get feedback and input. We also will be asking our colleagues to take on some of the leadership in terms of leading sessions on how to use ManageBac or acting in the role of a mentor.

How will you address obstacles that you may encounter in implementing your plan?

I think time is a big challenge. We have two parts to our project and I think it’s important to take a long view to getting both off the ground. The orientation is the first priority to get organized and implemented. The second, the mentorship program, is more long term. I think that piece will take more time as it will be important to get input from all stakeholders on “draft” plans before implementation. Right now, we have pulled together training materials for mentees and have proposed a revised contract.

How will you know if your action plan is successful? What evidence would support your claim?

In the short term, implementing the orientation will be a great first step. The feedback from participants will let us know how valuable the sessions were. In the context of mentorship, getting a new contract drafted and mentorship training in place will be huge milestones to reach. Emails from administration is also evidence. Our administration has told us they are "on board with an orientation for new staff and will schedule that for the new staff in the fall" (Artifact 9). The superintendent has also expressed a willingness to provide funding for a mentorship program (Artifact 9).